Earth to Tim–Home prices have fallen 31 July, 2009
Posted by David Anderson in Uncategorized.1 comment so far
Geithner can’t make a profit off his home. How did he think he could when he bought it at the peak? This guy is our economic genius?
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Home Crisis Investigation | ||||
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Wow, If the 2012 race were today 20 July, 2009
Posted by David Anderson in President Obama, Sarah Palin.1 comment so far
The GOP would be in a horse race with the President. Romney is tied and Palin who polls showed has been hurt by her resignation for now is within single digits. When you live by change….
A million Dollar door repair? 20 July, 2009
Posted by David Anderson in Budget.add a comment
Please tell me someone just miscoded this expenditure.
$1,444,100
Recipient Name AFCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC Recipient Address 1535 BRADY BLVD
Recipient City SAN ANTONIO Recipient State TEXAS
Recipient Zip Code 78237 Congressional District TEXAS-20
Description of Work/Service performed
REPAIR DOOR BLDG 5112
Does anyone know where I can get a job like this? 🙂
Boom–Health Care Financing Reform Hit 17 July, 2009
Posted by stoptaxing in Uncategorized.add a comment
The AFL-CIO came to my door Thursday asking my wife and I to sign a petition to get Senator Carper to back the Health Care Reform Bill. They are paying an army of people $11 an hour to canvas the neighborhoods and show support. I must say the young man was well informed, but not well enough to address my concerns or answer my questions about cost vs. lack of coverage in the Senate bill or lack of financing in the other bill. The fact that the AFL-CIO needs to spend money in Delaware to pressure a Democrat Senator means something is amiss in Obamaworld. The President endorsed issue ads targeting Democrats not just in red states but blue ones.
The Washington Post today gives a summary of the problems. Notice words like devastaing assessment. Would make budget problems worse not better.
Congress’s chief budget analyst delivered a devastating assessment yesterday of the health-care proposals drafted by congressional Democrats, fueling an insurrection among fiscal conservatives in the House and pushing negotiators in the Senate to redouble efforts to draw up a new plan that more effectively restrains federal spending.
Under questioning by members of the Senate Budget Committee, Douglas Elmendorf, director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, said bills crafted by House leaders and the Senate health committee do not propose “the sort of fundamental changes” necessary to rein in the skyrocketing cost of government health programs, particularly Medicare. On the contrary, Elmendorf said, the measures would pile on an expensive new program to cover the uninsured.
Though President Obama and Democratic leaders have repeatedly pledged to alter the soaring trajectory — or cost curve — of federal health spending, the proposals so far would not meet that goal, Elmendorf said, noting, “The curve is being raised.” His remarks suggested that rather than averting a looming fiscal crisis, the measures could make the nation’s bleak budget outlook even worse.
I am an original source material guy. I encourage you to read the testimony first hand. We all know that we have to address problems in the healthcare financing system, but we don’t have to do them out of emotional and political timing considerations. Healthcare reform should not be sold like snake oil. Buy it now or never. It is better to get it right or stop and figure out how to do it right. It could be your life in the balance.
Castle: I was never convinced Cap and Trade was a particularly good bill 17 July, 2009
Posted by stoptaxing in Uncategorized.add a comment
I can imagine an interview with Rep. Castle. Congressman, then why did you vote for it? Well it was tough 51-49% How would you know when you had not even been privileged to see the bill? I met with Nancy Pelosi and she told me it was going to be changed to address any legitimate concerns. Did your leadership ask you to at least hold your vote back until last to pressure wavering Democrats? I told them to stuff it and was one of the first to vote for it. Did they ask you not to vote for it. I don’t recall. I actually had my staff run interference and tell them I was a supporter then hung out in Pelosi’s and Hoyer’s offices to avoid them.
Do you think this is fictional? It is not too far off. Read the report in the TheHill.com, but have your aspirin ready.
Following meetings with Democratic leaders — including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) — Castle was one of eight Republicans who supported the bill, which narrowly passed House late last month, 219-212.
“Even voting for it, I was 51-49 percent because I never was convinced that was a particularly good piece of legislation,” Castle said.
GOP leaders tell a different story.
(more…)
What’s the Rush 16 July, 2009
Posted by David Anderson in Uncategorized.add a comment
Our honored and distinguished President has urged that Congress pass a health bill by the August recess. On cue, the Senate health education, and labor committee passed a bill out of committee. The problem is that the bill is missing scoring and incomplete. It sort of misses a financing mechanism for starters.
Rushing a bill out happens sometimes. Rushing a serious bill with 1000 pages which will fundamentally affect the lives and health of all Americans is irresponsible. Our President is not known for acting irresponsibly. One has to ask what is driving him? The poll numbers have reversed in the past two weeks. Opposition to health care reform as proposed by the President. Two weeks ago it was favored 50% to 45% and now it is opposed 49% to 46%. Opposition by Independents is up 12 points.
The motivation for trying to rush this bill through before it is studied seems to be based upon pure political considerations not the best interests of Americans. If that is true, that is a crying shame.
Please call, write and email our delegation to Washington and tell them to pledge to read the bill before it is voted upon.
Sanford Parody 15 July, 2009
Posted by David Anderson in Uncategorized.add a comment
The situation with Governor Sanford is a sad family issue not a public policy one except for the fact that he couldn’t make a couple of phone calls to transfer power while he went on his now famous trip. He violated the first general order; do not quit your post until properly relieved. It is amazing the pain that we can cause ourselves and others. I pray for his redemption. The posting of this parody is not intended to target the governor as a person, but take a humorous look at the irresponsible side lurking in all of us. It is a reminder to all.
Sarah Palin on Cap and Tax 14 July, 2009
Posted by David Anderson in Economic Policy, Energy, Sarah Palin.1 comment so far
Governor Sarah Palin wrote on the dangers of the Cap and Trade proposal in the Washington Post today.
I am deeply concerned about President Obama’s cap-and-trade energy plan, and I believe it is an enormous threat to our economy. It would undermine our recovery over the short term and would inflict permanent damage.
American prosperity has always been driven by the steady supply of abundant, affordable energy. Particularly in Alaska, we understand the inherent link between energy and prosperity, energy and opportunity, and energy and security. Consequently, many of us in this huge, energy-rich state recognize that the president’s cap-and-trade energy tax would adversely affect every aspect of the U.S. economy.
There is no denying that as the world becomes more industrialized, we need to reform our energy policy and become less dependent on foreign energy sources. But the answer doesn’t lie in making energy scarcer and more expensive! Those who understand the issue know we can meet our energy needs and environmental challenges without destroying America’s economy.
Job losses are so certain under this new cap-and-tax plan that it includes a provision accommodating newly unemployed workers from the resulting dried-up energy sector, to the tune of $4.2 billion over eight years. So much for creating jobs.
In addition to immediately increasing unemployment in the energy sector, even more American jobs will be threatened by the rising cost of doing business under the cap-and-tax plan. For example, the cost of farming will certainly increase, driving down farm incomes while driving up grocery prices. The costs of manufacturing, warehousing and transportation will also increase.
The ironic beauty in this plan? Soon, even the most ardent liberal will understand supply-side economics.
Markell, Wagner, and Jones-Potter tackle check reform 14 July, 2009
Posted by David Anderson in Budget, State.add a comment
DOVER – In a move that will reduce the number of checks the state cuts each year, reduce the number of state credit cards and deliver several hundred thousand dollars back from the state’s credit card vendor, Governor Jack Markell announced Friday reforms in the way the State of Delaware pays its vendors, reimburses state employees and tracks state credit card usage. State Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter, State Auditor R. Thomas Wagner, Acting Secretary of Finance Tom Cook and leaders from several state agencies joined Markell in the announcement.
“The state is serious about cutting its costs. Government needs to be as efficient and effective as possible to ensure that Delawareans get better value for their tax dollars,” Markell said. “These reforms are one of several important steps forward.”
The new reforms consist of the following:
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Reimbursements made to state employees will be paid by direct deposit. When fully implemented, this will eliminate up to 50,000 checks per year.
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The top 10 vendors that have been identified as receiving multiple checks per day from the State will be paid via credit card or electronic fund transfer when possible. This will reduce the production of up to 28,000 checks a year.
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Payments to the next 300 vendors will be transitioned in batches over the next year to either electronic fund transfers or the state credit card. If the vendor can only process checks, then state agencies will combine their expenditures and make single consolidated payments. This move will eliminate up to 36,000 checks.
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The implementation of new systems to reconcile and monitor credit card usage by state employees, reduce the number of cards in circulation and review internal controls and cardholder agreements at each agency.
“Initiatives like these can bring a substantial amount of money back to our state and make our government more responsive and responsible,” remarked State Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter. “Working across agencies and departments, we are helping to make this idea of greater fiscal responsibility a reality.”
Just as families and businesses around the world that use credit cards responsibly receive rewards like frequent flier miles from their card provider, the state benefits from a cash back program when we use our cards, noted Acting Secretary of Finance Tom Cook, who said the current reward program brings in nearly a million dollars each year to Delaware taxpayers. By moving the top 10 vendors to credit card payments instead of checks, as much $600,000 could be added to state coffers.
“It’s good to see state government focus on nuts-and-bolts issues like these. I’ve long said the state had to do more to maximize the amount of money it gets back from its credit card vendor, and this is a significant improvement in that policy.” Wagner said. “Real reductions in the number of checks cut to vendors is a real reduction in cost and that is more important than ever.”
Term Limits Failed 14 July, 2009
Posted by David Anderson in Revolutionary Reform.add a comment
Term Limits were the cure all reform mantra. If we get out those long time guys with out dated ideas, everything will be alright. The truth that we see is that having a CA situation where 1/2 of the state senate is no longer accountable to voters does not lead to better government. Maybe it is time to rethink them. Legislative term limits has not given us a government that works better anywhere. Executive term limits seem to have more value particularly if they are not a life time ban.
The nature of the legislature is that it represents the will of the people. Power is not concentrated (if the rules are designed properly) as in the executive. When the the legislature is no longer accountable to the people for its survival, it becomes a tool of tyranny and corruption. The legislator may spend his last term trying to please the next employer not the current one.
Term limits also belie the fact that it doesn’t matter if we have stationary socialists or revolving door socialists. What we need is an informed electorate which values liberty, prosperity, tradition, and the constitutional philosophy. The problem is not that we have poor legislators even though we do in many cases. The problem is that we are looking toward the wrong type of people. Term limits make this even worse because when you get a good one and they start making progress, you toss them out. The true solution will be found in educating the electorate not random shuffles
Stop overTaxing Our People 