BIG NEWS!!

We're pregnant! Yes, and we're very excited! I'm about 7 weeks along now, and due in August. We had a wonderful Christmas, having fun telling all of our family and friends!
More info and pics to come...
Happy New Year everyone! I know '09 will be a good one!
luv to all,
Andrea, John, and Baby Rochefort

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

Yep, we're getting into it! How about you?
Well, first college football is almost over. Gators beat Alabama which was great, and now they will play Oklahomas for the National Championship. Ya just can't stop that Tebow boy! We had a few people over to watch the game, which was fun, and also funny that they don't mind watching a huge game on our little TV, haha! Then afterwards, John had to get his weekly pizza (yeah, ya'll know how much I like that). So Mike and Kim (neighbors) were gracious enough to order some and invite us over to their house to eat and hang out some more. Mike gave John a gift certificate for a guitar lesson for his birthday, which was very nice. Maybe for Christmas John will get a guitar, have a lesson, and soon be jamming with Mike, brother Phil, or whoever. Maybe they'll all form a band one day, and us wives can be their groupies on the road!
Went shopping yesterday for all the kiddies in our families, into the craziness of what is the Brandon mall and Toys R Us. Then we were going to put up our tree and all our decorations, but we were so wore out from shopping that we just got the tree up. At least it's a fake, easy to put it, and already has a string of pretty white lights! Tonight we're going to put up the rest of the decorations, maybe wrap some gifts, all while singing Silent Night, haha! ;)
We're both getting really excited about this year's holiday season, for several reasons:
1. We're looking forward to visiting P.C. and seeing John's family for a few days (3 sisters, 3 bro-in-laws, each with 2 kids, Granny, J's aunts and uncles)
2. We're also happy that we'll get to see my sister and her family, and other members of my Dad and Mom's family, almost as much as we want to cause they're just across the Bay.
3. I'll have a total of 8 days off work!
4. We'll hopefully see bro-in-law Phil's family some too.
5. We're glad that this year we're enjoying spending time with family, and not worried about buying gifts for each other (except the little ones), because that's all we really want.
6. 2008 was a great year in many ways, and we believe, we know, that 2009 will be even better!
I'll post again next week! Have a good one!

Quick update

So, we had a great Thanksgiving with A.'s family: 35 people at first turkey dinner (thankfully didn't host that one, McMullens did), dozens of oysters from Apalachicola, visiting a dozen family members of Dad's side, another turkey (smoked, yum) dinner at sis's house, and another loss for FSU against the Gators! AND A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE!
J.'s Dad went through surgery well, preaching while under anesthia, LOL! and is now at home working with the rehabilitation people. Pretty soon he'll be up and walking well, then running! Umm..let's see. A. had a bad cold for about a week, and feels much better today. Going to the third forced "snack break/breakfast/lunch/whatever just to get out of work or not actually working at all" thing...a nice break from the norm, but A. doesn't care to see her boss all that much in one month! Also not too happy that she has to work this Saturday, and miss the annual holiday ball thing for J.'s company because she needs sleep the night before. Bah Humbug! Typical in my job, sit around for weeks on end with nothing to do, no challenge at all, then all of a sudden our contractor Evaluation Systems group of Pearson and the FL Department of Education decide: Oh No! We need to complete stuff in the contract, and "Gasp" teachers aren't working during Christmas, so let's cram in some test development meetings before the break. (Why we must work on Saturday). But, glad she went on a long walk about an hour ago! And her friend invited her to see Jason Mraz in concert tonight, yay!
Why I'm writing in 3rd person I don't know.
Catch up later... off to get snacks now.

Closer to Turkey Day (and oysters, yummy!)

I hope ya'll are all in good spirits, getting ready for the holidays and such. We are very excited to be visiting with family for the Thanksgiving holiday. Although we will not be with John's family this year (Christmas, though), they will definitely be in our thoughts as we give thanks. We are very thankful for the Rochefort clan and all they've done for us (and they raised a pretty cool son too). Also, John's Dad will especially be in our thoughts and prayers, as he will be having hip replacement surgery tomorrow (Tuesday). He'll be in a rehab facility for about a week afterward. So please keep him in your prayers as you sit down with your families on Thanksgiving, and we will also keep all of you in ours. We'll keep you updated on the latest news with him.

My Mom and Dad will be visiting all my folks down here in the Tampa area. I don't really know what kind of dinner, if any, we'll be doing on Thursday...since John and "brother" Phil have to work...but I think Friday night we'll be over at Uncle Moe and Aunt Missy's house grilling up some oysters and having a seafood feast. Thanks Mom and Dad in advance for bringing the fresh oysters from Apalachicola....but don't think we love you just because of that, haha! I think the whole crew will be there except Phil (who'll get his oysters on Saturday): me, John, Mom, Dad, Jennifer, Dom, Moe, Miss, Uncle Bruce and Aunt Sissy all the way from Rocky Top Tennessee, cousin Tobi, her hubby Adam, and their kids Amery and Tully, and maybe cousins Jeff and Wade, and of course, Mamaw and Papaw! Whew.

Then on Saturday Jenn and Phil are hosting a turkey dinner. Phil loves his new smoker, so I'm sure smoked turkey will be oh so good. I'm going to bring a couple of side dishes, already looking for recipes cause ya know I can't cook without them! So we'll be eating all day, then watching the Big Game. We'll see who wins this year...if it gets too bad with all my Gator crazed family, I might have to go find a FSU gathering somewhere and join them...

Peace and love to you during this holiday! We have so much to be thankful for: wonderful friends and family, and that's all one really needs.

Happy Monday

Hello again!
Hope everyone is doing well on this chilly morning, and had a great weekend.
John and I were able to hang out with both friends and family. We had a few friends over to our house Friday night for game night. We had a fun time playing Cranium and Trivial Pursuit! The girls (only 3 mind you) beat the guys (4) in Cranium...and in Trivial Pursuit, John, Chris, Dave, and Mike won against me, Brooke, Suz, and Paul. But man, do us girls have telepathy when it comes to guessing drawing, charades, humming songs, etc. in Cranium! Woo-hoo!
Then Saturday we headed over to the "west side" of Tampa Bay, to lovely Safety Harbor to watch football at Jenn and Phil's house. The Gators beat South Carolina...forgot the score...but it was Steve Spurrier's biggest loss ever! Poor Steve (didn't see him throw the visor, did you?). But you just can't stop the Gators and Tim Tebow, Superman himself, this year!
Unfortunately, FSU lost against Boston College...I'm disappointed in how they've been playing this year, but also with their conduct! Some players got in a fight with some fraternity guys at the student union on campus! Geez guys, don't you know how much you're hurting your team??
We had a great time, playing and cuddling with little Dominick, eating J and P's yummy grilled chicken, playing with their dog, Dude, who LOVES John (LOL!), celebrating the UF victory, and laughing into the night at J's stories and John's "and that's why I went to Florida State" (making fun of other college's commercials b/c he thinks UF's commercials are the best, and also making fun of people who at first attend UF, then eventually end up graduating from FSU!)...and at Andy Samburg and Justin Timberlake on SNL!

Jennifer, Phillip, and 'Nick traveled to Miami yesterday to stay for a few days. While there, 'Nick will be tested by a specialist doctor for his eye condition. Please keep them in your prayers, as some of the testing might not be too fun for 'Nick, or his parents! And also that they will get great information to help him in his daily life. He's such a happy and sweet little boy (ah! not a baby anymore, where does the time go??).... WE LOVE YOU GUYS!
A.

Mid November already???

Hello! Well, it's been pretty busy around here, and I know you are too! Hope all is well with everyone. We've done a few things since Halloween (other than work of course). We watched the Florida v. Georgia football game at Gator's with Jenn, Phil, and some friends: Tom, Stephanie, Travis, John, and Erik. Gator's is fun because it's on John's Pass near the beach, so it's on the water, and you can see the beach from the upper decks. And there's great food, and huge widescreen TVs to watch the games (and there was a fishing tournament going on too). We all ate and talked, and Dominick clapped every time there was a touchdown! The Gators won, Yay! and good times had by all.

And of course, on November 4, well, everyone knows what happened then. Let me just say: I wish I would have taken pictures of us that night! And: Congratulations Mr. President.

Last Saturday my friend Brooke and I went to a baby shower for a girlfriend whose husband works with our hubbies. It was at a tea room, very lovely and relaxing. That day, I watched FSU beat Clemson:Woo-Hoo! This Saturday we play Boston College-Go Noles!! And later that night we watched the Gators smash the Vanderbilt Commodores 42-14! Well, I still say even though FSU has lost two games, and UF has only lost one so far: sorry John and Gator fans (I'm surrounded by them down here!!) FSU's going to kick Gator butt on November 29!

Somewhere between all this, my doctor finally "diagnosed" me: I have bum ribs. So, he's "adjusted" me twice now...basically cracked my upper back to throw things back into place. I don't know how often I'll have to do this, but at least I don't have to take meds and haven't gotten a cortizone injection yet. I don't know how healthy it is in the long term to be cracked but we'll see! He says that sitting at a computer all day, slouching over can do that to you. Go Figure! For now, I'm working on my posture, and John calls me "Crazy Ribs Andrea". haha!

Oh, and also I went darker on my hair color at my last hair salon appointment....some may not think it's a big deal. But when you're bottle blonde for sooo long, it's kind of a scary experience. However I wanted a bit of a change, and that's what I got. I like it so far...trying to get back to my roots, hehe. What do ya'll think?






On a more somber note: Tuesday was Veteran's Day. Many people weren't off work, but being a state employee I was. So I thought, O.K., what can I do on my day off to try to enjoy it? I asked my friend Carly, and her son Austin, if she wanted to go to Busch Gardens with me, and we had a good time walking around looking at the animals.

It was a much needed care-free day. Sometimes we need that, to get away from all the gloom and doom people and news, and just from the realities of the world.

Earlier that morning, as I was getting ready, I watched some of the ceremony at Arlington. V.P. Cheney laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns...and of course, for anyone who knows me well, the tears flowed. Even if you're not a sensitive person like myself, you'd probably tear up a little too. If not, well...then...you have no heart! just kidding.

Anyway, as I was tearing up, I thought about all the veterans I know, and all of the ones in our families who have fought for our country's freedoms in the past. How in the world will they ever know how much Americans appreciate them for their service? Just saying thank you is sometimes enough! But if you feel the need to go further, you can just say: "I'll never understand what you have gone through, but I am here for you. I will listen to you, if you need to talk, or if I need advice from you, because I now that you've experienced something that I never will in my lifetime. I appreciate all that you've done to try to protect our country's rights, freedoms, and democracy. I respect you as a person and also your hard work, dedication, discipline, and courage. Your part in this fight has not been in vain. I feel honored to have you as a friend, or a member of my family. Please let me know what I can do for you, if you ever need anything."

Veterans and troops need our support, our respect. If you feel it in your heart, you may volunteer or donate to a cause that does just that. They have sacrificed so much for us, we can sacrifice a little of our time to say thank you. And I personally want to thank all of those who have done that for John and I, for your own friends and family members who have served. No matter what your stance is on this "war on terrorism," please continue to pray for our veterans that they are treated well when they return from service or battle, and pray for our troops who are in harm's way at this very second. We have friends in both Iraq and Afghanistan right now. And I'm sure you know someone who is also. Please pray for God to give them courage and strength to go on each day, and to give them wisdom to find the true terrorists who threaten our freedom.

We must stand together as Americans to say that we won't give up, we'll stand for them because they have stood for us. They have sacrificed so much: their time away from their loved ones; their lifelong dreams, careers, education goals; the familiarity of their hometowns; their innocence, pureness, naivety; and in some cases, their physical or mental abilities; and of course sadly, their own battle brothers and sisters. Some may say, well, it's voluntary, and they know what they're signing up for. Yes, it is voluntary, and that's why it is such a sacrifice and is so honorable. However, most do not know what they are getting into...do not know what terrible things they will see and do. That is the truth. And I feel for these recruiters here on the USF campus. I pray for them also...what a terrible job. And don't get me wrong, I do not hate the military. The Army has helped us tremendously in countless ways...and we have gained soo many lifelong friendships along the way. We will always be grateful. But I just want people to see....that life is so short to be negative, to argue, to be down on oneself...especially when you think of these men and women. We must support them because they do what most of us say "oh my gosh I couldn't possibly" do. So THANK YOU!

O.K.! Well that's enough blogging for today! Can you tell I didn't have much to do at work today?

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!!

A.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Here's some pics for ya from a Halloween party we went to. John went as "The Dude" from "The Big Lebowski," and I went as Amy Winehouse, the trashy British singer. Enjoy!

The Pumpkin Festival

Are ya'll loving this cooler weather as much as we are? Well, last Sunday was a perfect day to get out and enjoy it. So we did!

We went with our neighbors, Mike and Kimberly, and their daughter Kathleen, to the Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival in Bradenton. We had so much fun walking around, seeing animals, wood carvings made by a guy with a chainsaw(!), handmade arts and crafts, a BMX bike stunt show, browsing the farmer's market and pumpkin patch for good finds, eating awesome bad-for-you-but-you're-gonna-do-it anyway food, listening to a bluegrass band, and also making our way through the corn maze successfully!

Here's some pics for ya'll....and by the way: GO RAYS!!

Check it out!

http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=537274

Hello! Check out this web address in your free time if you'd like... it's an article I came across on an entertainment website. A local museum is closing (hopefully reopening at a different location), and there will be an exhibit featuring Christopher Still. He is a local artist who paints gorgeous depictions of Florida life: landscapes, people, etc. The painting featured by the article is one in which he asked my Papaw McMullen and my cousin Tobi to pose for. They are on the front porch of the log cabin...Papaw is the white-haired man and Tobi is the woman in the wedding dress. They're calling the little girl to come over so they can start the wedding ceremony (I think)...she's too busy daydreaming. This was almost 15 years ago when he did this painting... my grandparents have a big one. So it was cool to see it surfing the net!
I haven't been to this museum yet, hadn't heard of it actually, but I'll definitely go before it closes.

More later this week on happenings...
A.

Sports and Elections. Hmmm...

Sooo much going on right now! I think alot of people are tired of hearing about this election...burned out maybe. Well, it's reasonable to be! I am too a little... I think maybe just tired of the back and forth of it all. I'm not a debater at heart. I will state my case, but I really don't like arguing, and I'm definitely not going to try to convince people of things when I know they already have their minds made up, because I wouldn't want them to do that to me!
Because to me, things are not always black and white, there's ALOT of gray area. People just don't want to see that gray area, talk things out and say "oh, okay, we CAN compromise on this." I will get competitive with college football, though, because it doesn't directly affect me that much as politics, religion, etc.
Maybe a little tired college football too. What?? Already? Yes! I'm actually a little glad that the Gators don't play this Saturday for some reason. It's not that I don't like watching them play, or other teams play. But this week, it was kind of like, all right... FSU was the only team I cared about watching this week! And they won, whew! It was really too close for comfort, but they pulled it out of somewhere, and that made me happy, and Bobby too, of course.
But you know what? We're only halfway through this football season...and ladies, especially, the ones married to football lovers...we gotta get through it, and we will. And after, we'll say, whew! Thank goodness we have our Saturdays back to planning whatever we want to, haha! But then something else will come along, like the NFL, hockey season (which is practically 3/4 of the year), and then dun dun dun March Madness.
I was actually really glad the Tampa Rays have been winning, and making their way (cross fingers) to the World Series. You know why? Well, I was never really a baseball fan. Love watching college football and basketball, but was always bored with baseball. But this year, man, did the Rays excite people here! And me! And, kind of sad to say, it has been...not a distraction...but an added bonus to the "sporting season" of fall. The games have been something to look forward to in addition to watching and rooting for the Florida football teams (except Miami), and West VA (for you Dad). It's fun to cheer on someone you know is working hard for you, the community, and themselves of course, doing their best to provide encouragement for you, an added boost to your daily lives,...and it kind of feels like the world is a better place to live in when your team wins.
But sometimes your team doesn't win, and you just feel bad, like you were actually the one playing and lost for your team, or you feel disappointed in how the players did that day, like they didn't give it their all, or just didn't care about it, didn't care about you and your feelings... you might even feel just a little down at work the next day.
Well, that's life. It's complicated, and not easy! It is a roller coaster ride, sometimes you're up, and you're "winning", everything's going right in your life, all is right with the world. And then it's down, nothing's going right, you feel like you can't catch a break, you feel like life is just one attack after another. (And of course, there's the gray area, ho-hum daily life where there's not alot going on and you're totally bored with things). Must be how those players feel, how those politicians feel too, huh? But us, the "real" people in our lives, our beloved friends and family, the people that should really only matter, are the ones rooting for them, and rooting for each other. Because that is what we do as humans. We cheer on the people we care for. We support each other, in good times and in bad. And we should not have so much pride to not take that support and run with it.
We have to get through this season, each season in our lives, and we will. We will support our teams, cry when they lose, cheer when they win. We will do the same for each other. We will get through these times in our lives when all we see are roadblocks(or defensive linemen if you will), and we cannot see what's on the other side of them. But there is another side. We just have to have faith that it is there. We have to stick to your guns, know what we want or need, and go for it. It's hard to find that strength to get through it, but it's there in us. And we'll be so happy we found it, because whatever it is you're looking for on that other side of the roadblock, it will be worth it. It'll be worth all the effort, hard work, tears. And we have to know, too, that God is with us in every aspect of our lives. No matter what comes our way, we must stand our ground and say "Lord, I know I can get through this, not just this one thing standing in my way today, or this week, this month, but this whole thing we call life, with you by my side."
Life is not about winning and losing. It's about getting through it. Not getting through it just to speed along and say "O.K. now what?". I realize that I need to slow down and really enjoy life day to day, live more in reality of NOW, and say to myself "O.K. what can I do to make today a good day, for me, and for others in my life"... Not just always have something planned for the future (I LIVE by my planner, because back in my college years....I got a little lost, and kind of didn't plan a whole lot of anything! Which is nice sometimes of course, to be spontaneous, not have a care in the world... But I'm an organizer/planner at heart, so I love it really).
Football games and elections... we'll all be O.K. after each one. But they're fun in the moment of it all, huh?? Fun, stressful adreneline rushes, but always interesting to see outcomes! Life's not about winning and losing, it's about how you play the game.
I'm sorry I've gotten a little bit more philosophical, and less lighthearted than usual on this thing. I did have a glass of wine....hmmm...
I love you all. You are my best friends, and best family. And you mean the world to me. I would be nothing without each and every one of you guys. You've stood by me in good times, and bad...and I now realize that sometimes I need to ask for help because I know I cannot do things all on my own. And I hope you all will do the same, with me, or with whomever you feel comfortable with in your life. So...be on the lookout for advice from me in the near future. We were not made to go it alone (i.e. Adam and Eve). The institutions of family, marriage, and friendships were made by humans because they were needed.
I've always wanted to be older so I could do things all on my own...and now that I am "older", wow! Talk about real world, huh?
To everything there is a season...

Thoughts?

A.

Save the Ta-Tas!

Last week, John was asked by a our friend Eric to run with him, in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in downtown St. Petersburg. Of course he was honored by this request. John, Eric, and another friend, Tom, ran the 5K, all in very decent time. ;) Here are some pics of the event, and of our tired fellas!

Obama in Dunedin!

On the spur of the moment, John and I decided to try to see Barack Obama last Wednesday at a rally held in the quaint town of Dunedin, Florida. We drove over there and were amazed at how many people were already in line! Some at gotten there very early that morning, knowing that he did not speak until 1 p.m. We patiently waited in the line for about an hour and a half, the line meandering about the cute cottages and stores of the downtown area. Someone had estimated that the line was a mile long, and I believe it! We made it to Knology Park just in time, and then stood through the hour or so for the speeches because there wasn't anywhere to sit by that point. It seemed like every time he gestured toward us, we felt like he could see us. I know the media cameras were all pointing in that direction, so I kept looking for us on the news. My cousin, Tobi, was standing right behind him the whole time, and after he came around and shook hands with people...and he held her little 4 month old boy! How exciting! His speech was incredible, the atmosphere so electric, so energetic, it gave me goosebumps. We knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and something we can tell our grandkids one day! It really felt like an important part of history. It was wonderful to see 10,000 people come together and support him, and one another. Because they know, we know, that "change is gonna come." Yes, we can! Peace and love, A.

Some facts about the Prez candidates' tax plans...

This is a compilation of fact-checking articles and websites that John and I put together as a response to those who say that Mr.Obama will increase our taxes. Check out the video too if you'd like!
If you want the truth, you should probably look to independent, non-partisan, non-profit organizations like the “ Tax Policy Center .” (http://www.taxpolicycenter.org)
**The Tax Policy Center (TPC) is a non-partisan, independent, joint venture of the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution. The Center is made up of nationally recognized experts in tax, budget, and social policy who have served at the highest levels of government. TPC provides timely, accessible analysis and facts about tax policy to policymakers, journalists, citizens, and researchers. TPC analysis has been cited by CNN-Money, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, Time Magazine, US News and World Report, CNN, AP, UPI, Detroit Free Press, Forbes, and many other respected news agencies (even Fox News).

TPC has released their analysis of Senator McCain’s and Senator Obama’s tax plans.

In their educated, independent opinion: “The two candidates' tax plans would have sharply different distributional effects. Senator McCain's tax cuts would primarily benefit those with very high incomes, almost all of whom would receive large tax cuts that would, on average, raise their after-tax incomes by more than twice the average for all households. Many fewer households at the bottom of the income distribution would get tax cuts and those tax cuts would be small as a share of after-tax income. In marked contrast, Senator Obama offers much larger tax breaks to low- and middle-income taxpayers and would increase taxes on high-income taxpayers. The largest tax cuts, as a share of income, would go to those at the bottom of the income distribution, while taxpayers with the highest income would see their taxes rise significantly.”
(http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publications/url.cfm?ID=411749)

In simple terms McCain’s plan would give huge tax breaks to the top %5 of Americans, while Obama’s plan will give significant tax breaks to the bottom %95 and raise taxes on the top %5.

Here is a chart from CNN-Money that breaks down income and average tax bills under each candidate’s plans.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/11/news/economy/candidates_taxproposals_tpc/index.htm)

INCOME AVERAGE TAX BILL

MCCAIN OBAMA

Over $2.9 Million -$269,364 +$701,885

$603K and up -$45,361 +$115,974

$227K - $603K -$7,871 +$12

$161K - $227K -$4,380 -$2,789

$112K - $161K -$2,614 -$2,204

$66K - $112K -$1,009 -$1,290

$38K - $66K -$319 -$1,042

$19K - $38K -$113 -$892

Under $19K -$19 -$567

Factcheck.org says “McCain claims 23 million small-business owners would pay higher tax rates under Obama. He's wrong. The vast majority would see no change, and many would get a cut.” “We find that the overwhelming majority of those small-business owners would see no increase, because they earn too little to be affected. Obama's tax proposal would raise rates only on couples making more than $250,000 or singles earning more than $200,000.”

McCain argues that Obama's proposed increase is a job-killer. He has a point. It's true that increasing taxes on those at the top would leave them less money for other purposes, including investment and hiring in the case of business owners. But the number of business owners who would see their rates go up would be only a small fraction of what McCain says. Many would see their taxes go down.”
(http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/mccains_small-business_bunk.html)

CNN-Money says “This claim is misleading at best, because nobody knows exactly how many of those small-business owners earn more than $250,000 and are taxed as individuals. About 20 million claim business income, but have no employees. According to the Tax Policy Center , 663,608 taxpayers with business income (or losses) fall into the top two tax brackets and could be subject to Obama's tax increase. But according to Center fellow Len Berman, many - nobody knows how many - of those taxpayers are not full-time entrepreneurs. Most owners of small businesses, he says, have small incomes."
(http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/03/smallbusiness/mccain_obama_taxes.fsb/index.htm)

Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families: Obama and Biden will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 150 million workers the tax relief they need. Obama and Biden will create a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. The "Making Work Pay" tax credit will completely eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans.
(http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/)

**Factcheck.org is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Their goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding. The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania . The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels. The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.

The only tax increase Senator Obama has pledged is to raise personal income tax on couples making more than $250,000 and singles making more than $200,000.

Factcheck says “Obama would only increase capital gains and dividends taxes only for couples earning more than $250,000 per year, or singles making $200,000. For the rest, taxes on investments and savings would remain unchanged.”
(http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/there_he_goes_again.html)

The Wall Street Journal also indicates “Obama would only increase capital gains and dividends taxes only for couples earning more than $250,000 per year, or singles making $200,000.” The same article also cites several financial analysts who agree “the next president will raise the capital-gains rate. It's just a question of when.” The article goes on to say “Sen. Obama wants to raise the long-term capital-gains rate for families making more than $250,000 to around 20% or somewhat higher -- but not above the 28% level it reached during the Reagan presidency.” Yes, that is conservative icon Ronald Regan. Obama only wants to raise the capital-gains rate for wealthy families back to the rate is was under Ronald Regan.
(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121374794468982701.html)

Obama plans to reform Corporate Bankruptcy Laws to Protect Workers and Retirees: Current bankruptcy laws protect banks before workers. Obama and Biden will protect pensions by putting promises to workers higher on the list of debts that companies cannot shed; ensuring that the bankruptcy courts do not demand more sacrifice from workers than executives; telling companies that they cannot issue executive bonuses while cutting worker pensions; increasing the amount of unpaid wages and benefits workers can claim in court; and limiting the circumstances under which retiree benefits can be reduced.
(http://www.barackobama.com/issues/seniors/)

The US Census Bureau estimates only ~14,000 households over the age of 50 make more than 100,000. Assuming most households over 50 average 2.5 people, ~35,000 people over the age of 50 would have their taxes raised under Obama’s plan.
(http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/hhinc/new02_001.htm)

Furthermore, Barack Obama plans to eliminate income taxes for Seniors making less than $50,000: Barack Obama will eliminate all income taxation of seniors making less than $50,000 per year. This proposal will eliminate income taxes for 7 million seniors and provide these seniors with an average savings of $1,400 each year. Under the Obama-Biden plan, 27 million American seniors will also not need to file an income tax return.
(http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/)

Factcheck, and the TPC say “Obama’s plan would produce tax cuts, not tax increases, for about 80% of all workers and families and about 95% of those with children, according to independent analysis by the Tax Policy Center .”

PolitiFact from the St Pete Times says “On Obama’s tax plan: In a speech this week, Obama said, "I will cut taxes — cut taxes — for 95 percent of all working families." The linchpin here is Obama's tax credit for workers, which is intended to offset payroll taxes. Single people can qualify for a $500 credit; married couples filing together could get $1,000. We consulted the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center , which has created detailed models for how each candidate's tax proposal would affect American taxpayers. Its analysis says that under Obama's plan: 95 percent of all tax filers (working and non-working) will get a cut in their individual income taxes and 95 percent of all families with children (working and non-working) will get a cut in their total federal taxes. We rule this statement true.”
(http://www..politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/724/)

Here are many more false claims about Obama’s tax plan.
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/there_he_goes_again.html
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/more_tax_deceptions.html
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/the_32000_question.html

And snopes says most of the tax hype is false
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/taxes..asp

Newsweek on the tax distortions
http://www.newsweek.com/id/151621

Celebrate good times!

Congrats Betsy & Chris!