Tag: taxes

‘How do you put a hospice in a burrito stand?’ Watch Congress get stunned by new revelations about astronomical California fraud

The U.S. Congress is being stunned by unnerving revelations about the extent of hospice fraud in California, with alarming testimony indicating phony hospice centers purportedly located in a burrito stand as well as a tire shop.

Sheila Clark, president and CEO of the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association, told lawmakers Tuesday: “How do you put a hospice in a burrito stand in California? How do you put a hospice in a tire store in California? That all had to be vetted through licensure and certification and accreditation.”

“You’d be amazed at how many hospices – the door you can walk up to in California and there is nobody there. There is five months worth of mail that you can see stacked up from CMS and nobody’s there. And that passed a survey. How did that happen?”

The House Ways and Means Committee was so struck by Clark’s disclosure, it shared her testimony on social media, noting: “You heard that right. In Gavin Newsom’s California, a burrito stand masquerading as a hospice care facility was getting accredited and receiving taxpayer dollars.”

While Clark did not name any specific burrito stand, Politics on X explained: “This example illustrates broader federal and state probes into California hospice fraud involving overbilling Medicare, shell companies, identity theft, and improper enrollments, with one recent scheme alone allegedly defrauding Medi-Cal of $267 million.”

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RFK Jr. Buries Raphael Warnock With a Truth Bomb When the Democrat Senator Attacks Him for Making Cuts to the ‘Rabies Office’

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared on Capitol Hill for two hearings on Wednesday and embarrassed leftist Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) when he tried to outsmart him on health matters.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, RFK Jr. first testified before the Senate Finance Committee on his agency’s budget and the deals that the Trump Administration struck with drug companies to lower prices.

Late in the hearing, Warnock decided to test RFK Jr.’s knowledge of rabies, one of the most deadly diseases on the planet.

Warnock started off by trying to ‘educate’ the HHS Secretary on rabies, which can be spread by numerous animals to humans, including raccoons, foxes, and skunks.

Of course, RFK Jr. already knew this information.

Then, Warnock decided to attack RFK Jr. for making budget cuts to the ‘rabies office.’ He said that only one person is handling issues concerning the disease at the CDC rabies division in Atlanta, Georgia.

But what the Georgia senator neglected to say was that rabies cases in humans are EXTREMELY rare, with only a couple of cases per year on average. Thus, this seems like a job one person can handle.

RFK Jr. left Warnock stammering when he dropped this truth bomb.

WARNOCK: You’re gutting the very offices that keep American families safe from disturbing and deadly infectious diseases.

RFK JR: Senator, there’s one to three rabies cases a year in the United States. I think one person manning that office full-time can handle that traffic.

WARNOCK: Here, uh, here, uh…

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New Report From Conservative Think Tank Claims Gavin Newsom Spent a Billion Dollars to Import 400,000 Illegal Aliens

According to a new report from the Manhattan Institute, California Governor Gavin Newsom not only allowed thousands of illegals to pour into his state, he paid a massive amount of money in order for it to happen.

This was done mainly through grants that were given to charities which then turned around and aided in all of this illegal immigration.

These were tax dollars. The people of California essentially paid for this without their consent. Taxpayers should be furious.

Breitbart News reports:

Report: Gov. Newsom Spent $1 Billion to Import 400,000 Extra Illegal Migrants

California Governor Gavin Newsom covertly spent $1 billion importing 400,000 migrants from poor countries to serve the state’s Democratic political machine and elite-dominated economy, according to data provided by the Manhattan Institute in New York.

“Since Newsom took office, California has granted massive contracts for migrant-related services: more than $250 million to Catholic Charities; $85 million to Jewish Family Services; $12 million to Centro Legal de la Raza; $23 million to the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area; and more,” according to an article by Christopher Rufe in City Journal.

The funding is in addition to California’s share of the massive federal funding directed by President Joe Biden’s pro-migration border chief, Alejandro Mayorkas.

The state’s Democratic government also steered $110 million to the major Latino political machine, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA):

CHIRLA can be described as a one-stop activist machine, with the ability to produce propaganda, engage in legal action, and — most importantly — get people into the streets. The group coordinates the L.A. Rapid Response Network, which tracks ICE raids and takes “direct action to shut down detention centers.” During the wave of protests in L.A., CHIRLA activists agitated on social media, led a street protest, and called for a “Summer of Resistance.”

Newsom has always thought that he is untouchable. That’s why he does things like this without a care in the world.

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USAF Explains Additional F-15EX Buys During Budget Brief

AFP attended the four hours of budget briefings at the Pentagon yesterday as part of the Pentagon Press Corp.

The Department of the Air Force’s Fiscal Year 2027 President’s Budget request marks a fundamental strategic shift. This budget departs from previous practices and makes a conscious effort to prioritize investment in modernization and readiness, recognizing both as essential and non-negotiable. With a total request of $338.8 billion, this 38% increase over the FY26 enacted position is a generational investment designed to supercharge our Defense Industrial Base, sharpen our military readiness, and secure enduring Air and Space superiority.

The budget truly is procurement wish list dream for all of the services, which we will write more about later today.

Part of the procurement buy for fiscal 2027 includes 24 F-15EX aircraft, in a sustained production run to more than 260 airframes.

I question the Air Force officers delivering the briefing about concerns we have heard from retired flag officers about the vulnerability of the F-15EX in a high-threat environment as shown by 4 F-15s being shot down during Operation Epic Fury, by far the aircraft impacted by hostile and friendly fire.

The answer I received was the need primarily in the Pacific of an airframe that can load a large amount of weapons for possibly stand-off offensive fires.

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Ireland to offer cash to encourage Ukrainians to leave – migration minister

The Irish government is aiming to terminate government-provided accommodation for Ukrainian migrants within a year, and will offer payouts to encourage repatriation, Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy has said.

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, around 125,000 Ukrainians have received temporary protection in Ireland, according to Brophy. From July 2022 to March 2026, Dublin reportedly spent more than €438 million ($516 million) to provide half of them with housing.

Dublin has also shelled out nearly €400 million in “political, humanitarian, economic and non-lethal military aid” for Kiev, while other EU members have funneled billions of euros into the conflict. Russia has warned that the EU’s support for Ukraine has only served to prolong the hostilities.

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‘HELL NO!’ Public high-school remodel features Muslim prayer room and foot-washing station

A Minnesota school district has confirmed that part of a remodeled section of its high school will include a Muslim prayer room and foot-washing station, calling into question adherence to “separation of church and state” in the use of public funds.

According to AlphaNews reporter Liz Collin, the school district affirmed the development for Park Center Senior High in Osseo, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, saying the Muslim-centered facility was “included in updated plans after hearing from user groups on student needs.”

Collin reports a tipster told her: “This is undoubtedly for Muslim students only. I cannot understand how this can be happening in this era of no religion in schools.”

One commenter on X noted: “Ten Commandments in schools, includes command not to kill.”

Liberals: “HELL NO!! Separation of church and state!”

“The Quran that calls for jihad and killing, foot washing, no more pork at lunch, 5 calls to prayer, and prayer room with carpets!”

Liberals: “Duuuuuuh… okay?!?!?”

The perceived “need” for students relates to the surge in the number of Muslim Somali migrants settling in Minnesota in recent years, including some who have bilked taxpayers out of billions of dollars in government payments meant to support day care centers and other facilities.

Referencing the infamous “Learing Center” sign uncovered in Minnesota as part of Nick Shirley’s investigative reporting, one commenter remarked: “They should change their name to OSSEO SENIOR LEARIN CENTER HIGH SCHOOL….. at this pace we will become Somalia before 2040. The state flag is Somali already.”

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Keith Self Pushes FAITH Act to Block ‘Sharia Tax’ on Non-Muslims

Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, introduced legislation Monday that would prohibit the imposition of religiously based financial penalties, a measure he says is aimed at preventing Sharia-inspired practices such as taxing non-Muslims.

The Freedom Against Imposed Theology Harms (FAITH) Act would establish a nationwide ban on fees, fines, penalties, or other financial burdens imposed on individuals because of their religious beliefs—or their refusal to participate in another religion’s practices.

“This legislation sends an unmistakable message,” Self said in a press release. “Religious freedom means freedom from religious coercion—financial or otherwise.”

“The FAITH Act draws a firm constitutional line: No American should ever pay a de facto religious tax or face financial penalties for their beliefs,” he added. “We must make America Sharia-free and protect the First Amendment for everyone.”

The bill would classify such conduct as a predicate offense under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, expanding prosecutors’ authority to pursue organized efforts to impose religiously based financial demands.

Self said the legislation is intended to address concerns about attempts to enforce Sharia-influenced financial practices in the United States. The bill would apply to both governmental and non-governmental actors, while preserving the right of religious and educational institutions to seek voluntary contributions from their own members for internal purposes.

Self cited the Islamic concept of jizya, a historical tax imposed on non-Muslims under Sharia-based governance, as an example of a practice he views as incompatible with U.S. constitutional principles. Although jizya is not imposed under American law, supporters of the FAITH Act argue that informal financial pressures modeled on Sharia principles pose a growing concern.

“While formal jizya is not imposed by U.S. law, we are seeing growing attempts to establish Sharia-adherent enclaves, parallel financial systems, and community coercion in parts of America—including right here in Texas,” Self said.

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California Dems Cook the Books on $2 Billion, Then Try to Make Filming Their Fraud Illegal

Max Bonilla publicly accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration of making a $2 billion calculation error in the state budget and then mischaracterizing the issue after it was identified.

Bonilla said the discrepancy involved accounting related to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, commonly known as CalPERS, and described how the error affected projected employer contributions.

“Governor Newsom’s office made a $2 billion calculation error in regards to the state budget and then lied about it to the public, and they actually covered this up for months.”

He said the handling of the issue raised concerns about transparency and competence within the administration.

“This should be disturbing to you, with all the fraud that’s going on across the United States of America, it shows you how incompetent they are. Shows you that they can’t even do basic math, and they can’t even be transparent to the public when it really comes down to it.”

Bonilla said officials referred to the issue as a revision rather than an error, which he criticized.

“And instead of calling this an error, they’re calling it a revision. And that, my friends, is revisionist history.”

According to Bonilla, the accounting problem involved double-counting employer contributions to CalPERS, the retirement system that provides benefits to public employees after they leave service.

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Zohran Mamdani Robs Taxpayers to Fund Tax Consumers

New York’s socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, announced this week that he is making good on his campaign promise to tax the rich. Like all socialists, Mamdani claims that the rich do not pay their “fair share,” a claim contradicted by the data.

In effect, wealthy taxpayers pay almost all of the taxes in New York City, while the lower 50% not only pay almost nothing but also receive government benefits. The lower 30% of NYC residents do almost no work. This is supported by Census Bureau data showing that the lowest income quintile in New York City earns a mean household income of just $12,294, equivalent to roughly 14 hours per week at New York’s minimum wage of $16.50, which is already nearly double the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

According to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, millionaires paid 44.6% of all personal income tax collected in tax year 2024, while the top 200,000 taxpayers paid 51.9%. Millionaires also accounted for over 75% of all reported capital gains in the state that year. Meanwhile, the bottom 50% of taxpayers paid just 0.2%. According to 2023 data from the NYC Independent Budget Office, the top 1% of city income tax filers paid approximately one-third of all city income tax revenue, with a threshold of at least $906,677 in income.

“When I ran for mayor, I said I was going to tax the rich. Well, today we’re taxing the rich,” Mamdani declared in a video filmed outside 220 Central Park South, where Citadel CEO Ken Griffin owns a four-floor penthouse purchased for $238 million. On April 15, Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul jointly announced a pied-à-terre tax, French for “foot on the ground,” an annual surcharge on one-to-three-family homes, condominiums, and co-ops valued above $5 million whose owners maintain a primary residence outside New York City.

Mamdani argued that such properties are often left vacant while still benefiting from rising real estate values, calling the arrangement “a fundamentally unfair system that hurts working New Yorkers.”

Yet the non-resident owners he targets are, by definition, not drawing on city services. The revenue he proposes to extract from them would flow not to working New Yorkers but to welfare programs serving those who don’t work, transferring wealth from tax producers to tax consumers.

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Spanberger Rips Up Confederate Heritage To Separate Virginians From Their History

Seemingly not content to just destroy her state’s rule of law and election system, Democrat Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has declared war on Virginia’s heritage and, more specifically, those who dedicate themselves to preserving it.

The newly minted governor signed a bill on Monday that revoked tax exemptions from several Confederate heritage organizations, including the state’s divisions of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). Spanberger also recently signed a bill that ceases the production of specialty license plates bearing the likeness of Robert E. Lee.

“Governor Spanberger’s signing of this bill is a proud moment and an important step forward for Virginia,” state Delegate Alex Askew, who sponsored the bill and has campaigned for it for several years, stated. But the question is: A step forward toward what? A Virginia that hates its own history, that curses those men of the past who built the state and made it what it is today?

Spanberger’s signature represents, as The New York Times put it, part of “a yearslong Democrat-led push to shake off the state’s legacy as the capital of the 11 Southern, slaveholding states that seceded from the country in the 1860s.”

And indeed it has been a years-long campaign by the left to erase Virginia’s, and America’s, history. The era that began with the inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2009 and reached its fever pitch during the fiery George Floyd riots of summer 2020 saw the slow but sure disappearance of Confederate history from the public sphere. Even some Republican politicians found a convenient scapegoat in long-revered Southern symbols.

During a BLM riot in Richmond, Virginia, in May 2020, extremist agitators attacked the headquarters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy with “incendiary devices.” The building, deeded to the organization by the state in 1950, was filled with countless Civil War-era documents and artifacts. The resulting fire and destruction caused $4.1 million in damage to the building and its contents, according to a lawsuit filed by the UDC. The wanton vandalism that night also extended to the multiple Confederate monuments on Monument Avenue, including the famous equestrian statue of Robert E. Lee that was removed in 2021.

The UDC was founded by Southern women in 1894 to “honor their family members and ancestors who served in the Confederate military or contributed to the Southern war effort.” And because of this, Virginia’s Democrats seek to strike back for the sin of honoring their ancestors through charitable work. The new law is intended to cripple an organization that mostly dedicates itself these days to civic engagement of a decidedly nonpolitical sort — helping homeless shelters and food banks.

And, of course, the radical leftists didn’t stop at Confederate monuments. Statues and memorials to the Founding Fathers, Christopher Columbus, and Teddy Roosevelt all came under attack during the heyday of race wokeness. Many of the memorials and museums that escaped physical attack were otherwise “contextualized” into oblivion with asides and nitpicks that drilled into patrons’ heads that America’s ancestors were very bad people.

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