Thursday, November 29, 2012
How Much Do We pay in Taxes For These Everyday Items?
An alarming portion of the price that you pay for everyday products go directly to government coffers. Some of the worst taxes fall under the “sin tax” laws, as the IRS defines on its website:
A sin tax is used to discourage the use of products and services that could pose a risk to someone’s health, such as alcohol and cigarettes. Puritan colonists used the earliest sin taxes in this country.
So let’s begin with Cigarettes:
READ IT ON THE BLAZE:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/how-much-do-we-pay-in-taxes-for-these-everyday-items/
Five New ObamaCare Taxes Coming January 1
Although some of the “fiscal cliff” taxes can be avoided through a deal made in Congress, new ObamaCare taxes are guaranteed to kick in on January 1, amounting to $268 billion tax hike. From Americans for Tax Reform:
The Obamacare Medical Device Tax – a $20 billion tax increase: Medical device manufacturers employ 409,000 people in 12,000 plants across the country. Obamacare imposes a new 2.3 percent excise tax on gross sales – even if the company does not earn a profit in a given year. In addition to killing small business jobs and impacting research and development budgets, this will increase the cost of your health care – making everything from pacemakers to prosthetics more expensive.
The Obamacare “Special Needs Kids Tax” – a $13 billion tax increase: The 30-35 million Americans who use a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) at work to pay for their family’s basic medical needs will face a new government cap of $2,500 (currently the accounts are unlimited under federal law, though employers are allowed to set a cap).
There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children. There are several million families with special needs children in the United States, and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education. Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington, D.C. (National Child Research Center) can easily exceed $14,000 per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can be used to pay for this type of special needs education. This Obamacare tax provision will limit the options available to these families.
The Obamacare Surtax on Investment Income – a $123 billion tax increase: This is a new, 3.8 percentage point surtax on investment income earned in households making at least $250,000 ($200,000 single). This would result in the following top tax rates on investment income:
CONTINUED: http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2012/11/28/five_new_obamacare_taxes_coming_january_1
Invitation from Senator-elect Norman Sanderson and Rep.-elect Michael Speciale
Senator-Elect Norman Sanderson and Representative-Elect Michael Speciale would like to cordially invite you to a special Oath of Office Ceremony on Sunday, January 6, 2013 at 3:00 PM at the Havelock Tourist and Event Center. The oath of office will be administered by NC Supreme Court Justice Paul Newby. Newly elected NC Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest has also been invited to attend along with a number of local dignitaries.
Legislators normally take an oath of office in late January at the NC Legislature in Raleigh, but newly elected legislators were given the opportunity to be sworn in locally. Many people are not able to travel to Raleigh, and Michael and Norman would like nothing more than to be surrounded by family and friends, faithful volunteers, and constituents as they take the oath of office in the districts they are honored to represent.
There will be a reception with cake and punch immediately following the ceremony in the same location at 201 Tourist Center Drive, Havelock (behind the Hampton Inn on US Highway 70). The public is invited to attend. For moreinformation, please contact (252) 876-7189.
Legislators normally take an oath of office in late January at the NC Legislature in Raleigh, but newly elected legislators were given the opportunity to be sworn in locally. Many people are not able to travel to Raleigh, and Michael and Norman would like nothing more than to be surrounded by family and friends, faithful volunteers, and constituents as they take the oath of office in the districts they are honored to represent.
There will be a reception with cake and punch immediately following the ceremony in the same location at 201 Tourist Center Drive, Havelock (behind the Hampton Inn on US Highway 70). The public is invited to attend. For moreinformation, please contact (252) 876-7189.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Future of the Family Farm
I do not farm; neither does my family, but it just so happens that God has given me an incredible passion for farming families. You see, I live in Cove City, NC surrounded by cotton fields, tobacco crops, horse pastures and forestry. The beauty of it all is incredible, the peacefulness of watching what was sown, then grow and produce fruit, is so satisfying! To hear the knickers of the horses from my front porch, or the echo’s of cattle and donkey’s braying back and forth brings a smile to my face. To look out and see the red-tail hawks, the blue jays, cardinals and woodpeckers, to see an occasional deer, or even a bear reminds me that I am certainly not the center of the universe…… It is all of Creation, a blessing, to be able to live off of what we have been given.
I know these men and women who do work the land, I have seen the headlights from their tractors at wee hours in the middle of the night. I have seen as what they work on for months at a time come close to complete ruin in drought and extreme wet conditions and I have seen hurricanes completely decimate entire crops in a matter of hours.
Currently I see worry in the faces of these farmers, ones who have strived their entire lives to leave the farm for their children. As property taxes continue to increase on equipment and talk of the Present Use Value program changes heating up, we now have the inheritance tax issue’s that would destroy the family farm as we know it. All of this as continual regulation increases for products that can and can’t be used, places where farming is and isn't allowed due to zoning regulations and pricing of the commodities continually changing- sometimes not even allowing the farmer to recoup his cost of harvest! How can this way of living, one that each and every human being depends on, be in such turmoil?
Something most people do not realize is a reliance of military bases on agricultural land. Especially here in Eastern NC, we are surrounded by bases and used on flight paths for maneuvers, it is essential that farmland remain. In NC our #1 industry is Agriculture and our #2 is the MILITARY. These industries go hand in hand in support of one another. Yet, statistics tell us NC is the #1 state in LOSS of farmland.
This is happening due to several issues from what I have witnessed first hand
1) The median age of a farmer today is 58 years old. Family sizes are not what they used to be requiring farmers to hire additional help. If there is not a family member willing to take over the farm, it is more then likely sold.
2) The expense of starting a farming business is astronomical. If you were lucky enough to be born into a farming family you have a chance, but if not, the chances of you acquiring enough land, affording the extensive and expensive equipment, and having enough cash flow to begin are slim to none- and all this depending on surviving with good crops the first few years weather permitting!
3) Farming isn’t as attractive as the movies have made it out to be. It is a 365 day a year job, especially if you raise livestock. The hours are constant, and again the costs incredible…..not many people want to dedicate themselves to this way of life!
4) The expansion of residential areas and highways are continually encroaching on the family farm. While it seems good for whatever municipality to grow, the truth is the costs of services also increase tremendously to that particular area and it ends up in the form of taxation to all residents. While there was once a piece of land with crops that required no water/sewer/electrical hook ups, now new lines must be run for all utilities and manpower hired for additional housing management in the form of police officers, sheriff’s deputies, fire fighter’s, health and social workers and so on…..the bigger the population, the more services are needed. Not many realize that.
I do not have answers for these issues other then somehow our farms must be protected at all costs.
One last point that I would like to add…..I have heard out of people’s mouth’s that “farm subsidies and property taxation reductions on land are like farming welfare”. I beg to differ! When a farmer loses his entire crop to a disaster, we are all affected financially in the ability to purchase a necessity. They must have GOOD crop insurance to continue to be able to provide for the rest of our population. Please realize, farmers do not set the pricing for their products, the commodity market DOES. Many farmers today have seen their crops bring in less money then it costs to produce them. Again, without some form of subsidy many crops and farms would fall by the wayside costing us all more and eventually depleting the market. Also a farmer is not one who does not work, on the contrary! It is an extremely demanding and dangerous job that requires skill, knowledge and an incredible work ethic. The farmer knows they are responsible for feeding the masses, providing fibers for materials and forestry for everything from home building to diaper stuffing!
While the farm bill sits unattended to in Washington DC, all of this hangs in the balance! I do not agree with all that is in the bill, the Farm Bill and Food Stamps SHOULD NOT BE IN THE SAME BILL, Food stamps should be under HHS, (Health and Human Services), but that will have to be dealt with at a later date when our nation’s farms are not in such peril. If you care about food, I urge you to contact your US Senator and Representative personally.
God made Adam the first care-taker of the Garden of Eden. He was the first “farmer”. We have a responsibility to be good stewards with the land that has been provided. We should be helping our farmers provide to their full potential, we should be encouraging new farmers to get into the field, and we should be offering incentives that will benefit our entire population in the abundance of food, fiber and forestry. How terrible it would be to depend on other countries to grow OUR food. The import of oil surely hasn't worked out so good for us has it?!
Tyker Gonzales
Cove City, NC
I know these men and women who do work the land, I have seen the headlights from their tractors at wee hours in the middle of the night. I have seen as what they work on for months at a time come close to complete ruin in drought and extreme wet conditions and I have seen hurricanes completely decimate entire crops in a matter of hours.
Currently I see worry in the faces of these farmers, ones who have strived their entire lives to leave the farm for their children. As property taxes continue to increase on equipment and talk of the Present Use Value program changes heating up, we now have the inheritance tax issue’s that would destroy the family farm as we know it. All of this as continual regulation increases for products that can and can’t be used, places where farming is and isn't allowed due to zoning regulations and pricing of the commodities continually changing- sometimes not even allowing the farmer to recoup his cost of harvest! How can this way of living, one that each and every human being depends on, be in such turmoil?
Something most people do not realize is a reliance of military bases on agricultural land. Especially here in Eastern NC, we are surrounded by bases and used on flight paths for maneuvers, it is essential that farmland remain. In NC our #1 industry is Agriculture and our #2 is the MILITARY. These industries go hand in hand in support of one another. Yet, statistics tell us NC is the #1 state in LOSS of farmland.
This is happening due to several issues from what I have witnessed first hand
1) The median age of a farmer today is 58 years old. Family sizes are not what they used to be requiring farmers to hire additional help. If there is not a family member willing to take over the farm, it is more then likely sold.
2) The expense of starting a farming business is astronomical. If you were lucky enough to be born into a farming family you have a chance, but if not, the chances of you acquiring enough land, affording the extensive and expensive equipment, and having enough cash flow to begin are slim to none- and all this depending on surviving with good crops the first few years weather permitting!
3) Farming isn’t as attractive as the movies have made it out to be. It is a 365 day a year job, especially if you raise livestock. The hours are constant, and again the costs incredible…..not many people want to dedicate themselves to this way of life!
4) The expansion of residential areas and highways are continually encroaching on the family farm. While it seems good for whatever municipality to grow, the truth is the costs of services also increase tremendously to that particular area and it ends up in the form of taxation to all residents. While there was once a piece of land with crops that required no water/sewer/electrical hook ups, now new lines must be run for all utilities and manpower hired for additional housing management in the form of police officers, sheriff’s deputies, fire fighter’s, health and social workers and so on…..the bigger the population, the more services are needed. Not many realize that.
I do not have answers for these issues other then somehow our farms must be protected at all costs.
One last point that I would like to add…..I have heard out of people’s mouth’s that “farm subsidies and property taxation reductions on land are like farming welfare”. I beg to differ! When a farmer loses his entire crop to a disaster, we are all affected financially in the ability to purchase a necessity. They must have GOOD crop insurance to continue to be able to provide for the rest of our population. Please realize, farmers do not set the pricing for their products, the commodity market DOES. Many farmers today have seen their crops bring in less money then it costs to produce them. Again, without some form of subsidy many crops and farms would fall by the wayside costing us all more and eventually depleting the market. Also a farmer is not one who does not work, on the contrary! It is an extremely demanding and dangerous job that requires skill, knowledge and an incredible work ethic. The farmer knows they are responsible for feeding the masses, providing fibers for materials and forestry for everything from home building to diaper stuffing!
While the farm bill sits unattended to in Washington DC, all of this hangs in the balance! I do not agree with all that is in the bill, the Farm Bill and Food Stamps SHOULD NOT BE IN THE SAME BILL, Food stamps should be under HHS, (Health and Human Services), but that will have to be dealt with at a later date when our nation’s farms are not in such peril. If you care about food, I urge you to contact your US Senator and Representative personally.
God made Adam the first care-taker of the Garden of Eden. He was the first “farmer”. We have a responsibility to be good stewards with the land that has been provided. We should be helping our farmers provide to their full potential, we should be encouraging new farmers to get into the field, and we should be offering incentives that will benefit our entire population in the abundance of food, fiber and forestry. How terrible it would be to depend on other countries to grow OUR food. The import of oil surely hasn't worked out so good for us has it?!
Tyker Gonzales
Cove City, NC
CCTA ACTION ALERT: ObamaCare State Exchange
The week before last, lame-duck Governor Bev Perdue found a way to throw North Carolinians under the bus one last time before leaving office.
As the deadline closed in for states to decide whether to help implement ObamaCare Exchanges or tell the Feds to take a hike, she buckled to pressure from the Left and decided to split the difference. She accepted $73.5 million in federal grant money to set up a hybrid state/federal-run ObamaCare Exchange in North Carolina.
While the U.S. Supreme Court found the individual mandate to purchase insurance Constitutional – albeit reclassified as a tax – they also found that the federal government cannot force states to comply with federal mandates on the threat of losing existing federal funding. The court said that, "the legitimacy of Congress's exercise of the spending power...rests on whether the State voluntarily and knowingly accepts the terms of the contract." (Emphasis added.) They went on to confirm that states have the right as independent sovereigns to refuse to act on federal mandates they do not like.
If a state simply refuses to accept federal mandates (and the associated “bribe” money) to implement ObamaCare Exchanges, as the court explicitly affirms is within its power, the entire law would collapse upon itself.
Republican governors such as Rick Perry of Texas, Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Paul LePage of Maine, and Nikki Haley of South Carolina have refused to accept the federal bribe money and told the Feds to take a hike. In a letter to the Obama Administration, Governor LePage wrote:
“The [federal health reform law] is full of federal mandates; as such, even a state-based health insurance exchange is actually controlled by the federal government. In the end, a state exchange puts the burden onto the states and the expense onto our taxpayers, without giving the state the authority and flexibility we must have to best meet the needs of the people of Maine.”
Governor Perdue said that she chose a state-hybrid exchange for North Carolina so that Governor-elect Pat McCrory and the incoming Republican supermajority General Assembly can make changes to the exchange if they want to. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger said that Governor Perdue should not have acted, but that he didn't mind her applying for federal Obamacare money, “as long as it does not frivolously spend the tax dollars until the new leaders determine the next steps.”
Say what?
Even more disturbing, while Governor-elect Pat McCrory said he found many aspects of a state-run ObamaCare Exchange troubling, he's hedging his bets and refusing to say outright that he will give back the ObamaCare bribe money once he's sworn in and refuse to go along with the President's healthcare takeover. Instead, he said, “Governor Perdue’s decision leaves flexibility for North Carolina in the future when it comes to the delivery of health care...“I will be discussing this with more governors today, and will continue those discussions in the coming weeks to ensure the best results for North Carolina.”
I don't know about you, but I get nervous when politicians start talking about "flexibility."
Here's the problem: North Carolina and every other state that accepted ObamaCare bribe money are bound, under the law, to cooperate with the implementation of an ObamaCare Exchange so long as they keep the money. The only way to refuse to go along with ObamaCare is to refuse the bribe.
We need to hear from Pat McCrory, Thom Tillis, and Phil Berger TODAY a firm commitment that they will DEFINITELY return the $73.5 million bribe that Bev Perdue took and we need to know what date we can expect that to happen. Anything less firm than that is nothing but mealy-mouthed stalling for time.
House Speaker Thom Tillis, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, and Governor-elect Pat McCrory need to hear from you immediately! Call right away and remind them not to “voluntarily and knowingly” succumb to the national takeover of your health care. Ask when they intend to give back the ObamaCare bribe money! House Speaker Thom Thillis: (919)733-3451 Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger: (919)733-5708 Governor-elect Pat McCrory: media@patmccrory.com.
Insist that they refuse to build an insurance exchange as called for in ObamaCare. We elected a Republican governor and a Republican supermajority to the General Assembly. They have the responsibility AND the numbers to flatly refuse to have any part in implementing ObamaCare in North Carolina. Step 1 in protecting us from Obama's takeover scheme is to give back his bribe money! Tell them you expect nothing less!
In Liberty,
Adam Love
State Coordinator North Carolina Campaign for Liberty
P.S. Two weeks ago, Lame-duck Governor Bev Perdue accepted $73.5 million in federal bribe money to implement ObamaCare in NC. So far, Governor-elect Pat McCrory, House Speaker Thom Tillis, and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger haven't said when they plan to give it back! Contact them today and demand to know when they plan to return the ObamaCare bribe money and say NO! to cooperating with ObamaCare in NC!
Contact them today at:
House Speaker Thom Tillis: (919)733-3451
Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger: (919)733-5708
Governor-elect Pat McCrory: media@patmccrory.com
Because of Campaign For Liberty's tax-exempt status under IRC Sec. 501(C)(4) and its state and federal legislative activities, contributions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions (IRC § 170) or as business deductions (IRC § 162(e)(1)).
www.CampaignForLiberty.org
As the deadline closed in for states to decide whether to help implement ObamaCare Exchanges or tell the Feds to take a hike, she buckled to pressure from the Left and decided to split the difference. She accepted $73.5 million in federal grant money to set up a hybrid state/federal-run ObamaCare Exchange in North Carolina.
While the U.S. Supreme Court found the individual mandate to purchase insurance Constitutional – albeit reclassified as a tax – they also found that the federal government cannot force states to comply with federal mandates on the threat of losing existing federal funding. The court said that, "the legitimacy of Congress's exercise of the spending power...rests on whether the State voluntarily and knowingly accepts the terms of the contract." (Emphasis added.) They went on to confirm that states have the right as independent sovereigns to refuse to act on federal mandates they do not like.
If a state simply refuses to accept federal mandates (and the associated “bribe” money) to implement ObamaCare Exchanges, as the court explicitly affirms is within its power, the entire law would collapse upon itself.
Republican governors such as Rick Perry of Texas, Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Paul LePage of Maine, and Nikki Haley of South Carolina have refused to accept the federal bribe money and told the Feds to take a hike. In a letter to the Obama Administration, Governor LePage wrote:
“The [federal health reform law] is full of federal mandates; as such, even a state-based health insurance exchange is actually controlled by the federal government. In the end, a state exchange puts the burden onto the states and the expense onto our taxpayers, without giving the state the authority and flexibility we must have to best meet the needs of the people of Maine.”
Governor Perdue said that she chose a state-hybrid exchange for North Carolina so that Governor-elect Pat McCrory and the incoming Republican supermajority General Assembly can make changes to the exchange if they want to. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger said that Governor Perdue should not have acted, but that he didn't mind her applying for federal Obamacare money, “as long as it does not frivolously spend the tax dollars until the new leaders determine the next steps.”
Say what?
Even more disturbing, while Governor-elect Pat McCrory said he found many aspects of a state-run ObamaCare Exchange troubling, he's hedging his bets and refusing to say outright that he will give back the ObamaCare bribe money once he's sworn in and refuse to go along with the President's healthcare takeover. Instead, he said, “Governor Perdue’s decision leaves flexibility for North Carolina in the future when it comes to the delivery of health care...“I will be discussing this with more governors today, and will continue those discussions in the coming weeks to ensure the best results for North Carolina.”
I don't know about you, but I get nervous when politicians start talking about "flexibility."
Here's the problem: North Carolina and every other state that accepted ObamaCare bribe money are bound, under the law, to cooperate with the implementation of an ObamaCare Exchange so long as they keep the money. The only way to refuse to go along with ObamaCare is to refuse the bribe.
We need to hear from Pat McCrory, Thom Tillis, and Phil Berger TODAY a firm commitment that they will DEFINITELY return the $73.5 million bribe that Bev Perdue took and we need to know what date we can expect that to happen. Anything less firm than that is nothing but mealy-mouthed stalling for time.
House Speaker Thom Tillis, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, and Governor-elect Pat McCrory need to hear from you immediately! Call right away and remind them not to “voluntarily and knowingly” succumb to the national takeover of your health care. Ask when they intend to give back the ObamaCare bribe money! House Speaker Thom Thillis: (919)733-3451 Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger: (919)733-5708 Governor-elect Pat McCrory: media@patmccrory.com.
Insist that they refuse to build an insurance exchange as called for in ObamaCare. We elected a Republican governor and a Republican supermajority to the General Assembly. They have the responsibility AND the numbers to flatly refuse to have any part in implementing ObamaCare in North Carolina. Step 1 in protecting us from Obama's takeover scheme is to give back his bribe money! Tell them you expect nothing less!
In Liberty,
Adam Love
State Coordinator North Carolina Campaign for Liberty
P.S. Two weeks ago, Lame-duck Governor Bev Perdue accepted $73.5 million in federal bribe money to implement ObamaCare in NC. So far, Governor-elect Pat McCrory, House Speaker Thom Tillis, and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger haven't said when they plan to give it back! Contact them today and demand to know when they plan to return the ObamaCare bribe money and say NO! to cooperating with ObamaCare in NC!
Contact them today at:
House Speaker Thom Tillis: (919)733-3451
Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger: (919)733-5708
Governor-elect Pat McCrory: media@patmccrory.com
Because of Campaign For Liberty's tax-exempt status under IRC Sec. 501(C)(4) and its state and federal legislative activities, contributions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions (IRC § 170) or as business deductions (IRC § 162(e)(1)).
www.CampaignForLiberty.org
Letter to the Editor: Old MacDonald lost his farm……
November 25th
Letter to the Editor
Old MacDonald lost his farm……
Along with January, 2013 fast approaching, so are the current tax structure changes and how they are going to affect our local farms. Currently the death/inheritance tax is 35% on property over $5 million; this will increase to 55% on property over $1 million if nothing is done!
According to Josh Rolph of the CFBF Federal Policy Division (California Farm Bureau Federation) "With our high land values in California, it's easy for a farmer to be hurt by the lower exemption thresholds and be forced to sell portions of the farm to pay the estate tax bill," Rolph said. "Keeping the family farm in the family is critical to sustaining agriculture, and reforming the estate tax is critical to sustaining family farms."
But what about North Carolina? Consider this: For those family farms located next to large metropolitan areas such as Charlotte, Raleigh, and Wilmington the property values are MUCH higher than ours, not even taking into account that 1 piece of machinery can cost anywhere from One hundred thousand to upwards of 1 million and several pieces are needed for the entire operations. Then if you look at the acreage these farms must possess to make a profit, one can easily lose their farm altogether!
But how are we in Craven County affected by all this? What impact does this have to us locally? Here are the Agriculture Stats for Congressional Districts 1 and 3 in Craven County. In both Districts, 1 and 3, 19% of all jobs are in agriculture with a 6.0 Billion dollar impact (in each District) and representing 23% of District GDP making both Districts 3rd highest district GDP in the state and the 4th highest in Ag employment.
Craven County as a whole is tied for 5th place in Ag Economic Impact which is NC's #1 industry and 99% of NC farms are family owned!
Farmers do not set their own pricing, the commodity market does. If prices are down, they run risks of not making ends meet and this happens more often than we ever imagined.
All of this is not to mention that taxes were paid when the farms were purchased, taxes were paid when the equipment was purchased, each year property taxes are paid on the equipment and land, out buildings and grain bins, tobacco barns and lean-to's, year after year......then when they die it gets one giant tax again and then to be taxed to the next owner.......this is MORE THEN double taxation....!
Families are already having a hard time of it with the way it stands now! Last years drought followed by hurricane Irene devastated Craven County’s farms. This years continuous rains and now the possibility of a massive inheritance tax……we will be saying good-bye to the smaller family owned farms once and for all and they will be forced to sell the equipment and land to pay the taxes.
Lastly, Only 210,000 Americans are responsible for Eighty Percent of the US Ag Production. By the year 2050 the projected population for the planet is 9 Billion. These 210,000 people are our only lifeline to feeding the generations to come!
They need our help NOW. Please contact our elected representatives and request that they support the Farm Bill by the extension of the Bush tax cuts. The small farmer is a true representative of initiative and self-determination; he helps feed our Nation.
CCTA Member, Lou Call
New Bern, NC
Letter to the Editor
Old MacDonald lost his farm……
Along with January, 2013 fast approaching, so are the current tax structure changes and how they are going to affect our local farms. Currently the death/inheritance tax is 35% on property over $5 million; this will increase to 55% on property over $1 million if nothing is done!
According to Josh Rolph of the CFBF Federal Policy Division (California Farm Bureau Federation) "With our high land values in California, it's easy for a farmer to be hurt by the lower exemption thresholds and be forced to sell portions of the farm to pay the estate tax bill," Rolph said. "Keeping the family farm in the family is critical to sustaining agriculture, and reforming the estate tax is critical to sustaining family farms."
But what about North Carolina? Consider this: For those family farms located next to large metropolitan areas such as Charlotte, Raleigh, and Wilmington the property values are MUCH higher than ours, not even taking into account that 1 piece of machinery can cost anywhere from One hundred thousand to upwards of 1 million and several pieces are needed for the entire operations. Then if you look at the acreage these farms must possess to make a profit, one can easily lose their farm altogether!
But how are we in Craven County affected by all this? What impact does this have to us locally? Here are the Agriculture Stats for Congressional Districts 1 and 3 in Craven County. In both Districts, 1 and 3, 19% of all jobs are in agriculture with a 6.0 Billion dollar impact (in each District) and representing 23% of District GDP making both Districts 3rd highest district GDP in the state and the 4th highest in Ag employment.
Craven County as a whole is tied for 5th place in Ag Economic Impact which is NC's #1 industry and 99% of NC farms are family owned!
Farmers do not set their own pricing, the commodity market does. If prices are down, they run risks of not making ends meet and this happens more often than we ever imagined.
All of this is not to mention that taxes were paid when the farms were purchased, taxes were paid when the equipment was purchased, each year property taxes are paid on the equipment and land, out buildings and grain bins, tobacco barns and lean-to's, year after year......then when they die it gets one giant tax again and then to be taxed to the next owner.......this is MORE THEN double taxation....!
Families are already having a hard time of it with the way it stands now! Last years drought followed by hurricane Irene devastated Craven County’s farms. This years continuous rains and now the possibility of a massive inheritance tax……we will be saying good-bye to the smaller family owned farms once and for all and they will be forced to sell the equipment and land to pay the taxes.
Lastly, Only 210,000 Americans are responsible for Eighty Percent of the US Ag Production. By the year 2050 the projected population for the planet is 9 Billion. These 210,000 people are our only lifeline to feeding the generations to come!
They need our help NOW. Please contact our elected representatives and request that they support the Farm Bill by the extension of the Bush tax cuts. The small farmer is a true representative of initiative and self-determination; he helps feed our Nation.
CCTA Member, Lou Call
New Bern, NC
MOORE TEA CITIZENS
MOORE TEA CITIZENS: Let's Get Together for Christmas Cheer!
Come join us at Russell's for a Christmas Celebration. We'll keep business to a minimum and focus on having a great time. We'll celebrate the birth of Christ with a joyous dinner party. There will be some reminiscing and some looking forward with real hope to the coming year.
We have four Empty Stocking families to buy for -- we can provide Christmas gifts for four needy families in Moore County! We're going for geographic coverage. More about the families we're going to be helping - plan to purchase needed clothing and 'things' - toys for kids of all ages! We'll let you know in a few days with another note like this - with more details!
We'll be singing your favorite Christmas carols - so bring your very best voices. All the better if you have a musical instrument and a little talent. We need you!
Sign up today to attend. Mark the date now! We're looking forward to seeing you there!
And, in case we don't see you in at the supper in December, mark your calendar now for Monday, January 14th. That's planning night, when we'll put our heads together and map out our strategy for 2013. 5:30 - 7:00 - supper and some humdinger planning's ahead. Sign up to come - just send a note to Dee at mooreteacitizens@gmail.com.
We need you to help us develop our strategy for the coming months and years....budget, deficit, Benghazi investigation, sequestration, and of course support for election winners and for our losers too. We must all PULL TOGETHER.
Sign up now, please, and let's have supper on Monday, the 10th of December.
In January, on the 14th, we'll gather together again and share our best ideas for moving Moore TEA Citizens ahead - we can and will do it!
RIGHT? RIGHT!!!
Our Membership Grows Daily--We Have Over 1,700 Members!
There is always room at the Moore TEA Table For YOU!!
Moore TEA Citizens warmly welcomes all, and we're welcoming YOU. Our next monthly supper will be at Russells' Restaurant on Monday, December 10th, at 5:30pm. Just let us know that you're coming.
The registration form is on our website - - LINK HERE!
Where: Russell's Seafood & Southern Buffet, 1405 Central Drive, Southern Pines, NC 28387
When: Monday, December 10th, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Moore TEA Citizens, PO Box 4381, Pinehurst, NC 28374
December 10th, 2012, 5:30 - 7:30 pm: MOORE 1405 Central Drive
Southern Pines, NC 28387.
We have four Empty Stocking families to buy for -- we can provide Christmas gifts for four needy families in Moore County! We're going for geographic coverage. More about the families we're going to be helping - plan to purchase needed clothing and 'things' - toys for kids of all ages! We'll let you know in a few days with another note like this - with more details!
We'll be singing your favorite Christmas carols - so bring your very best voices. All the better if you have a musical instrument and a little talent. We need you!
Sign up today to attend. Mark the date now! We're looking forward to seeing you there!
And, in case we don't see you in at the supper in December, mark your calendar now for Monday, January 14th. That's planning night, when we'll put our heads together and map out our strategy for 2013. 5:30 - 7:00 - supper and some humdinger planning's ahead. Sign up to come - just send a note to Dee at mooreteacitizens@gmail.com.
Christmas Greetings And Best Wishes To You In 2013!
REMEMBER...PLEASE PLAN RIGHT NOW! COME ON OUT FOR SUPPER!
Monday, December 10th, 2012, 5:30 - 7:30pm
LINK HERE to send in your reservation. No need to do it again if you've signed up!
Let's meet for our next monthly supper on the 10th of December!
"We Ain't Goin' Away!"
We need you to help us develop our strategy for the coming months and years....budget, deficit, Benghazi investigation, sequestration, and of course support for election winners and for our losers too. We must all PULL TOGETHER.
Sign up now, please, and let's have supper on Monday, the 10th of December.
In January, on the 14th, we'll gather together again and share our best ideas for moving Moore TEA Citizens ahead - we can and will do it!
RIGHT? RIGHT!!!
Our Membership Grows Daily--We Have Over 1,700 Members!
There is always room at the Moore TEA Table For YOU!!
Moore TEA Citizens warmly welcomes all, and we're welcoming YOU. Our next monthly supper will be at Russells' Restaurant on Monday, December 10th, at 5:30pm. Just let us know that you're coming.
The registration form is on our website - - LINK HERE!
Where: Russell's Seafood & Southern Buffet, 1405 Central Drive, Southern Pines, NC 28387
When: Monday, December 10th, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Moore TEA Citizens, PO Box 4381, Pinehurst, NC 28374
And Check Out Our Website: www.mooreteacitizens.com
Email Us: mooreteacitizens@gmail.com
910-783-8340
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