Tag: taxes

With 850,000 on waiting lists, NHS spends £300k hiring actors to pretend to be patients

Scotland’s cash-strapped NHS is under fire for spending hundreds of thousands of pounds hiring professional actors to pretend to be patients.

The Scottish Mail on Sunday can reveal that a body called NHS Education for Scotland is setting aside an astonishing £360,000 to pay actors and role-players to impersonate people with illnesses and medical conditions.

The body claims the fake patients have a vital role to play in training doctors and nurses.

But at a time when 850,000 people in Scotland are currently on a waiting list for NHS treatment, including diagnostic tests, critics said spending cash on actors was a waste of precious resources.

Meanwhile the health service is facing dire warnings over its financial future.

And Callum McGoldrick, investigations manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance campaign group said: ‘Spending more than £300,000 on professional actors to play patients while more than half a million Scots sit on NHS waiting lists is completely backwards.

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Sweden: $375 Million in Fraudulent State Welfare Funds Siphoned Off by Foreign Criminal Gangs Ravaging the Nation

A government investigation has revealed Sweden’s catastrophic betrayal, exposing how the nation’s welfare state—forged through centuries of Swedish ingenuity, sacrifice, and national pride—has been hijacked by criminal gangs, overwhelmingly fueled by unchecked mass migration from third-world countries.

The probe finally rips the veil off a scandal that Sweden’s globalist elite—those cosmopolitan liberals and social-democratic enablers who have ruled the country for decades—deliberately buried, ignored, and denied while the rot spread unchecked through the Swedish state apparatus.

Thousands of these gang members, many with deep roots in Sweden’s migrant enclaves, have been taking state handouts for years, draining the equivalent of over €325 million ($375 million) straight from the pockets of honest, tax-paying Swedes who built this system for their own people.

These so-called “benefits”—from fake sickness payouts to unemployment welfare—have become a taxpayer-funded safety net for these foreign predators, bankrolling their empires of drug dealing, extortion rackets, and brutal violence that terrorize Swedish streets and erode the country’s national sovereignty.

What this report unmasks is a national disgrace. Sweden’s jewel of a welfare system—a beacon of excellence built by generations of Swedes—has become little more than a slush fund propping up the fake refugees and economic migrants from the Third World who are dismantling the Swede’s one and only homeland from within, all thanks to spineless, traitorous globalist elites and their open-borders insanity.

Nils Öberg, chief of the Social Insurance Agency, conceded what patriotic Swedes have known for years—these migrant-dominated crime syndicates have embedded welfare fraud into their anti-Swedish operations, treating its national treasury like their personal ATMs.

The investigation shines a bright light on the ugly reality. Foreign-born individuals and their descendents, imported en masse under reckless, delusional multicultural fantasies, dominate the ranks of these welfare-scamming gangsters, proving once and for all that mass migration isn’t “enrichment”—it’s a direct assault on Sweden’s cultural and economic integrity.

One fraudster, claiming total disability to milk the system, was caught pumping iron in gyms, jetting off on lavish trips, and orchestrating gang hits—all while living off Sweden’s generous social welfare system designed to help vulnerable Swedes.

Another unemployed migrant was exposed as the kingpin of a sprawling criminal empire with over 30 convictions, yet still collecting welfare checks courtesy of our liberal-globalist policies that prioritize migrants—mostly military-aged men from alien cultures—over native Swedes.

Thousands of these gang-linked migrants declare such small “legal” earnings that the Swedish state is obligated to pick up the tab for their child-support payments, costing hardworking families another €10 million annually in this grotesque wealth transfer from Swedes to foreigners.

Authorities also found deep infiltration of legitimate businesses by these criminal networks, where they own, run, or manipulate companies to file fake sick-pay claims. Shockingly, many of these outfits trace back to migrants exploiting Sweden’s trust-based system.

The “personal assistance” industry—long a playground for fraud—emerged as a prime target, filled with gangs using fake staffing and ownership schemes to siphon funds that should safeguard Swedish elders and the disabled, not finance foreign crime lords.

Social Insurance Minister Anna Tenje labeled the findings “astonishing,” declaring that “if Sweden is going to to break the gangs, it must throttle this supply of our common tax funds.”

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Treasury Working to Cut Benefits and Money Transfers for Illegal Aliens: ‘There’s No Place for You in Our Financial System’

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Friday that the Trump administration is moving aggressively to deny federal tax benefits and suspicious money transfers for illegal aliens.

Bessent, acting under direct orders from President Donald Trump, said that the crackdown on illegals exploiting America will include banning them from the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit, and the Saver’s Match Credit.

“At @POTUS @realDonaldTrump’s direction, we are working to cut off federal benefits to illegal aliens and preserve them for U.S. citizens,” Bessent wrote in a post on X.

Bessent added that the Treasury will “issue proposed regulations clarifying that the refunded portions of certain individual income tax benefits are no longer available to illegal and other non-qualified aliens, covering the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit, and the Saver’s Match Credit.”

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NYC Council is Considering a Massive Pay Bump For Mamdani Before He Even Takes Office

Socialism has always enriched the political class at the expense of the people. One might even say that it does so by design.

Normally, however, the socialists at least try to make their plunder less obvious.

According to the New York Post, Democratic Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani of New York City will receive a gargantuan pay raise if the City Council has its way.

A new bill, introduced on Tuesday by Councilwoman Nantasha Williams of Queens, and unsurprisingly co-sponsored by 32 Council members, would increase Mamdani’s salary from $258,750 to $300,500 before the new mayor has established a single state-run grocery store or purged a single enemy of the revolution.

In fairness, Mamdani might prefer not to have the political headache.

After all, as the son of two Harvard-educated parents, he enjoys plenty of privilege already. He hardly needs the extra $40,000-plus annually.

Worse yet, the bill would give hefty sixteen-percent raises to members of the City Council. Others, too, including the city comptroller, public advocate, and borough presidents, would enjoy sixteen-percent increases from their already six-figure salaries.

City councillors have not seen a pay raise since 2016.

Of course, in the real world, people who do lousy jobs tend not to receive raises. Here in the private sector, we certainly cannot increase our own salaries by a simple vote.

Moreover, as Democratic state Assemblyman and former council member Kalman Yeger noted, the current council members tried to bring the bill to a speedy vote this month so as to spare the incoming mayor a potentially difficult veto decision. But they ran into a problem when they remembered that the law prohibits them from voting themselves a raise during a lame-duck period after an election.

“The only thing is I think they are worried that the mayor-elect won’t do it,” Yeger said. “They are afraid if they pass it in January and he’d have to veto. How does the mayor-elect justify it, saying the working man can’t afford milk? He can’t sign off to give them a $20,000 raise.”

In short, Mamdani will have to decide whether to further enrich himself and his cronies or to preserve his pro-worker facade.

Like all socialists, of course, he will eventually do the former. But, for appearances’ sake, he might choose to wait.

Meanwhile, on the social media platform X, users predicted that the mayor-elect would follow the historical pattern.

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Trump’s New EO, “Genesis Mission”, Just Gave The Nation Over To Technocrats, Lock, Stock, and Barrel

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose.  From the founding of our Republic, scientific discovery and technological innovation have driven American progress and prosperity.  Today, America is in a race for global technology dominance in the development of artificial intelligence (AI), an important frontier of scientific discovery and economic growth.  To that end, my Administration has taken a number of actions to win that race, including issuing multiple Executive Orders and implementing America’s AI Action Plan, which recognizes the need to invest in AI-enabled science to accelerate scientific advancement.  In this pivotal moment, the challenges we face require a historic national effort, comparable in urgency and ambition to the Manhattan Project that was instrumental to our victory in World War II and was a critical basis for the foundation of the Department of Energy (DOE) and its national laboratories.

Editor’s note: America is in a race with itself, but declared with upmost urgency. America’s AI Action Plan was written by Michael J. Kratsios, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and David O. Sacks, Special Advisor for AI and Crypto. The EO is undoubtedly ghost written by same two Arch-Technocrats. The phrase “accelerate scientific advancement” refers to “accelerationism”, which is part of the Dark Enlightenment. Marc Andreessen wrote in his Techno-Optimist Manifesto: “We believe in accelerationism – the conscious and deliberate propulsion of technological development – to ensure the fulfillment of the Law of Accelerating Returns. To ensure the techno-capital upward spiral continues forever.” – End Editor’s note.

This order launches the “Genesis Mission” as a dedicated, coordinated national effort to unleash a new age of AI‑accelerated innovation and discovery that can solve the most challenging problems of this century.  The Genesis Mission will build an integrated AI platform to harness Federal scientific datasets — the world’s largest collection of such datasets, developed over decades of Federal investments — to train scientific foundation models and create AI agents to test new hypotheses, automate research workflows, and accelerate scientific breakthroughs.  The Genesis Mission will bring together our Nation’s research and development resources — combining the efforts of brilliant American scientists, including those at our national laboratories, with pioneering American businesses; world-renowned universities; and existing research infrastructure, data repositories, production plants, and national security sites — to achieve dramatic acceleration in AI development and utilization.  We will harness for the benefit of our Nation the revolution underway in computing, and build on decades of innovation in semiconductors and high-performance computing.  The Genesis Mission will dramatically accelerate scientific discovery, strengthen national security, secure energy dominance, enhance workforce productivity, and multiply the return on taxpayer investment into research and development, thereby furthering America’s technological dominance and global strategic leadership.

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Minnesota university teaches about ‘whiteness pandemic’ and it does not sit well with taxpayers

DEI appeared alive and well in the Twin Cities, where a new report cast a light on the “absurd ideas” a university perpetuated on “whiteness” at the taxpayer’s expense.

Among the many initiatives of President Donald Trump’s administration, tackling the woke ideologies that have permeated the federal government and society has been given priority treatment. Now it appeared the University of Minnesota would be facing some extra scrutiny from the Department of Justice after the pet project of the school’s Culture and Family Life Lab director was found to be promoting the idea of a “Whiteness Pandemic.”

Featured in a report from the watchdog group Defending Education, Dr. Gail Ferguson of the university’s Institute of Child Development had led current and former graduate fellows on a project that contends, “If you were born or raised in the United States, you have grown up in the Whiteness Pandemic, and you can play a role in halting and reversing this pandemic, especially if you are White because of the power and privilege you hold in this racialized society.”

“If you were socialized into the culture of Whiteness during childhood, it is not your fault, but as an adult it is now your responsibility to self-reflect, re-educate yourself, and act,” continued the project, still prominently featured on the university’s website. “If you are a White adult, antiracist action involves an ongoing process of self-reflection in order to develop a healthy positive White identity while engaging in courageous antiracist parenting/caregiving.”

An example from the report featured by Defending Education took aim at families as it read, “Naming the Whiteness Pandemic shifts our gaze from the victims and effects of racism onto the systems that perpetrate and perpetuate racism, starting with the family system. At birth, young children growing up in White families begin to be socialized into the culture of Whiteness, making the family system one of the most powerful systems involved in systemic racism.”

“This far-left programming at a major public university is another example of how ingrained DEI is in higher education and is not going away any time soon,” Defending Education research Director Rhyen Staley told Fox News Digital.

“It is not only concerning that these programs appear to still be up and running, but that absurd ideas like ‘whiteness’ also gain legitimacy through dubious activist-academic ‘scholarship.’ Universities must end this nonsense yesterday,” added Staley.

As to how Ferguson’s project had drawn its conclusions, the research was said to have surveyed close to 400 white mothers, nearly all of whom were from Minnesota, with an average income between $125,000 and $150,000. The vast majority had a college education, and 61% identified as “somewhat or very liberal” compared to 18% as “somewhat or very conservative.”

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Economic Doom Loop: Leftist UK Gov’t to Raise Taxes to All Time High, While Increasing Welfare and Migration Handouts

The leftist Labour Party government in Britain announced £26 billion in tax hikes as a part of its autumn budget, which will take the tax burden to an all time high over the next five years.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the Labour government’s top cabinet minister on the economy, unveiled Wednesday her long-anticipated budget, which will see millions of Britons see their taxes increased despite the leftist party’s promise to focus on growth and to protect workers from paying more in tax.

While Reeves did not technically raise income taxes — as it would have been a direct contradiction of the party’s 2024 election manifesto — her budget extends the income tax threshold freeze, resulting in what is known as fiscal drag, a process by which workers are brought into higher tax bands as a result of inflation or pay growth.

According to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which controversially leaked the details of Reeves’ plan prior to the announcement, the extension of the freeze announced on Wednesday will see an estimated 920,000 more workers paying the 40 per cent income tax rate by 2029-30 compared to projections in March. Similarly, some 780,000 more people will be forced into paying income tax for the first time at the lowest 20 per cent rate, The Times reported.

As a result, income tax will increase from 10.5 per cent of GDP to 11.8 per cent by 2030-31. In total, the overall tax burden will climb from 34.7 per cent to an all time high of 38 per cent of GDP by 2031 after the £26 billion in tax hikes are factored in.

The government attempted to ameliorate anger over the cost of living by announcing q £150 reduction in energy payments, and an increase to the national minimum wage, which critics warn may hurt employment numbers. In a further populist measure, the government will introduce a so-called “mansion tax” on properties worth over £2 million. However, some have warned that this will further exacerbate the exodus of millionaires from the country.

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Democrats Sue Over Cut to SNAP Benefits for Non-Citizens and Illegals

Nearly half of all households with noncitizen parents are accessing federal benefits, a category that includes both legal and illegal immigrants. The Trump administration is trying to end these programs, but Democrats are pushing back.

Democratic attorneys general from 21 states and Washington, D.C., have filed a federal lawsuit challenging new USDA guidance that they say unlawfully restricts legal immigrants’ access to SNAP benefits. The lawsuit, filed in Eugene, Oregon, argues that USDA misinterpreted President Trump’s July tax-and-spending law, which narrowed eligibility for some immigrants but still allows green-card holders to apply for food aid after a five-year waiting period.

State officials say the guidance issued on October 31 went beyond the statute by declaring lawful permanent residents who previously held refugee, asylum, or humanitarian parole status permanently ineligible for SNAP. They contend the law allows these groups to receive benefits once they adjust to permanent resident status and meet standard program requirements.

The attorneys general are asking the court to block the guidance, saying it reverses long-standing policy without a reasoned explanation and violates administrative law. They warn that states could face severe financial penalties for noncompliance, with some suggesting that their SNAP programs could be forced to shut down. They also note that USDA did not provide the required 120-day transition period, leaving states to overhaul eligibility systems immediately.

A White House spokesperson said the administration is committed to ensuring that illegal aliens do not receive benefits intended for citizens. SNAP, which serves about 42 million low-income Americans, has been at the center of several legal disputes in recent years, including battles following the lapse in benefits during the recent government shutdown. According to USDA data, refugees made up roughly 1 percent of SNAP recipients in 2023, while other non-citizens, including lawful permanent residents, accounted for about 3 percent.

However, those USDA claims severely undercut the actual number of noncitizens receiving SNAP and other benefits. USDA data from fiscal year 2022 shows that 1.465 million noncitizens received SNAP benefits, with an additional 2.2 million children living in households with noncitizens also participating in the program. These recipients include lawful permanent residents, refugees, asylees, individuals granted stays of deportation, and others. They collected a total of $4.2 billion in benefits. USDA notes that illegal aliens are not eligible for SNAP but may reside in households where other family members qualify.

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Democrat Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Surrenders to Authorities After Allegedly Laundering $5 Million in FEMA Funds — Allegedly Bought 3.14-Carat Yellow Diamond Ring

A sitting Democratic member of Congress from Broward County, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, surrendered to federal authorities Tuesday in Miami amid explosive allegations that she orchestrated a scheme to steal and launder $5 million in FEMA COVID-19 disaster relief funds, and used a portion to bankroll her 2021 congressional campaign and purchase a luxury yellow diamond ring.

The 46-year-old Congresswoman appeared in Miami federal court in handcuffs following a 15-count federal indictment issued last week. She now faces charges including conspiracy, theft of government funds, money laundering, making and receiving straw-donor contributions, and filing false statements on her federal tax return.

According to the Department of Justice, prosecutors allege that Cherfilus-McCormick and her 51-year-old brother, Edwin Cherfilus, siphoned off $5,057,850 FEMA funds.

“The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to steal that $5 million and routed it through multiple accounts to disguise its source. Prosecutors allege that a substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants.

The indictment further alleges that Cherfilus-McCormick and Nadege Leblanc, 46, of Miramar, arranged additional contributions using straw donors, funneling other monies from the FEMA-funded Covid-19 contract to friends and relatives who then donated to the campaign as if using their own money.

The indictment also charges Cherfilus-McCormick and her 2021 tax preparer David K. Spencer, 41, of Davie, with conspiring to file a false federal tax return. According to the indictment, they falsely claimed political spending and other personal expenses as business deductions and inflated charitable contributions in order to reduce her tax obligations.”

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MINNESOTA MADNESS: Radical Democrat Judge Sarah West OVERTURNS Jury’s Guilty Verdict — Frees Somali Immigrant Who Stole $7.2 MILLION in Medicaid Fraud Scheme

Radical Democrat judge Sarah West, appointed by former Democrat Governor Mark Dayton, has tossed out a jury’s unanimous guilty verdict, setting free Abdifatah Yusuf, a Somali immigrant convicted of masterminding a massive Medicaid fraud ring that siphoned off $7.2 million from taxpayers.

A jury had found Yusuf guilty in August on six counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle, following evidence that his home-healthcare company billed Medicaid for hundreds of thousands dollars in “phantom” care, padding bills for services never delivered.

Prosecutors documented that many of those funds were funneled into luxury cars, high-end clothing, and other extravagant personal purchases.

But Judge West, rather than upholding the jury’s verdict, claimed the case hinged on circumstantial evidence and offered “other reasonable inferences” for the billing irregularities, arguing prosecutors failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Yusuf was personally responsible for the fraud. She issued a judgment of acquittal.

Jurors, prosecutors, and state lawmakers were stunned. One juror told reporters he believed the evidence demonstrated “obvious guilt.” The state’s Attorney General has already filed an appeal, warning the decision undermines public trust.

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