Daily Archives: 12 January 2011

Illinois increases income tax from 3 to 5%

They should sell roads or lay off gov’t employees instead. When businesses are irresponsible, they go bankrupt. They suffer silently. When governments are irresponsible, they cry like the spoiled children they are, then figure out a way to take more money by force in the name of “essential services.”

open quoteIllinois Gov. Pat Quinn defended a massive increase in state income taxes passed by lawmakers Wednesday and promised to quickly sign the measure to help heal the state’s ailing finances.

Lawmakers worked overnight to pass the increase to raise the personal income tax rate from 3 percent to 5 percent for four years — a 66 percent increase. Corporate income taxes also will rise, but Quinn rejected the notion that it would decimate businesses.

The rate increase might be the biggest any state has adopted in percentage terms while grappling with recent economic woes. Nevertheless, Illinois’ tax rate would remain lower than in several other states in the region.close quote (Read more from news.yahoo.com)

Wikileaks: Israeli intelligence chief regarded 2007 Islamic takeover of Gaza as positive step

open quoteMoments before Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip, former Director of Military Intelligence Major General Amos Yadlin said he would “be happy” if it happened, a diplomatic cable published on WikiLeaks revealed on Monday.

. . . .

The military intelligence chief, who recently retired and was highly esteemed among Israel’s political and military echelons, underrated Iran’s involvement in the Strip “as long as they have no (air or sea) port.”

According to the document Yadlin said a Hamas takeover would be a positive step, because Israel would then be able to declare Gaza as a hostile entity.

A few days later, his prediction came true as Hamas took control of the Strip.

The American ambassador noted that if Fatah loses control of the Strip, Abbas would be urged to form a separate government in the West Bank. close quote (Read more from ynetnews.com)

Israel destroyed Syria nuclear reactor: WikiLeaks

open quoteIsrael destroyed a Syrian nuclear reactor in an air raid just weeks before it went online in 2007, said a US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks and published on Friday in an Israeli daily. “On September 6, 2007, Israel destroyed the nuclear reactor built by Syria secretly, apparently with North Korea’s help,” then US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice wrote in the cable published in Yediot Aharonot newspaper. close quote (Read more from hindustantimes.com)