It’s been a while since I’ve done this – apologies! I start off with Brent from Weekend Pundit who has a graph that is right up my alley:
Just as Bismark did in Germany in the 1880′s did, the Progressives are "vote buying" with bribes so that they can institute their Nirvana where "experts" make all the decisions and we all can go do whatever it is that we want to – provided we only do what they want or allow. Having this number of people NOT having any skinny in the game is not good for anyone (paying or not) long term. At some point, the money runs out – will the Progressives then own up to the mistake? And make no mistake – we are seeing the effects of this writ a bit smaller in NJ, NY, and CA where very few paid the freight for the rest. When those very few become miniscule (either "going Gault" or left the state), who is left financially to pick up the slack?
But of course, these Liberal / Progressive / Socialists never own up to the real answer to that question.
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Well, it’s not flushing during the Superbowl, but it was hockey in Canada during the Olympics! Paul from Pun Salad delivers this chart:
He also has a great line about Nanny Statism about the sale & purchase of raw milk:
It’s a usual story of our alleged public servants throwing themselves between willing buyers and sellers.
They generally think its "selfless" – I just wish it would be more of MYOB & let adults be adults.
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Bruce at No Looking Backwards points out a flaw that Freedom folks seem to have – nd end game. In this case, that nutty NY Pol that wants to ban restaurants from using salt while cooking:
Incremental erosion of our liberty. It’s the bedrock principle upon which their empire rests.
State: We must ban all _________.
Sheep: NO! That’s outrageous! We Won’t let you!
State: OK, you win. We’ll only ban certain kinds of __________.
Sheep: YAY! We defeated the tyrants!
Lather, rinse, repeat.
If we are going to fight, we should be acting like Sherman’s March to the Sea.
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Charlie Arlinghaus over at NH Watchdog is warning we NH Citizens to not accept cries of "we killed it" concerning the LLC tax:
The governor and the legislature are sending mixed signals on the possible repeal of the controversial LLC tax. The governor has said he is working on a plan to repeal the tax but we haven’t heard about any details of the negotiations with legislative leadership. Complicating matters, the House leadership today is planning on rejecting a bill to do precisely what the governor says he and the leadership want to do.
Gov. John "Do Nuttin’" Lynch has ALWAYS tried to be in the still waters – finally, he’s getting rolled in the roiling waves – it’s about freakin’ time the Teflon wore off. Better yet – he’s doing it to himself!
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Grant at NH Watchdog reminds me of Lynch’s mismanagement here as well:
(CONCORD) New Hampshire’s Unemployment Trust Fund is out of money. Employment Security Commissioner Tara Reardon says that the fund reached a zero balance yesterday. In an exclusive interview with New Hampshire Watchdog, Reardon says the state expects to receive a $50 million no-interest loan from the federal Department of Labor within a week, in order to pay benefits to the 35,000 Granite Staters currently receiving unemployment.
Sucks to be John Lynch – guess this puts the kibosh on his brand spanking new program, NH Works, in trying to save NH jobs. Assumption: there was money in the fund to pay firms to keep the otherwise laid off workers around (or other firms to hire them for training)
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Ed at NH Insider brings us the news that sales taxes are up
“But Vertex Inc., which calculates sales tax for Internet sellers, reports that the average general sales tax rate nationwide reached 8.629% at the end of 2009, the highest since the Berwyn, Pa., company started tracking data in 1982. That was up a nickel on a taxable $100 purchase from a year earlier and up nearly 40 cents for the decade. The highest sales tax rate in the country now stands at 12%….States have also been raising income tax rates on the wealthy and on corporations and boosting excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco. With states now facing record budget shortfalls, more tax increases seem likely.”
I agree with his reasoning as to why:
There are two very simple reasons states, and some municipalities within them, are raising sales taxes.
- Because of state and municipal overspending
- Because taxpayers let states adopt sales taxes in the first place.
Remember, politicians will almost ALWAYS spend right up to the nickel you give them.
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Moultonboro Speaks has one way of controlling government spending which is almost always at least 60% of total expenditures: government salaries
To see if the town will vote to re-establish the inclusion in the annual town report beginning in 2010, salaries paid to all public employees as well as an itemized list of payments made or scheduled to be made to all vendors and/or contractors utilized for any purpose during the fiscal year for which the town report was issued.
In my research it appears that the town annual report included this information from as far back as I looked (1980) until 2005, the latest one I could find in the Moultonborough Library. The annual reports included "public assistance” payments as well. I’m surprised that at the warrant hearing last month no one seemed to recall this information being in the town report or when and why it was discontinued.
It’s hard to justify not supporting this warrant article (as the Selectmen did not) and still claim to be in favor of open and transparent government.
But many politicians, especially in his NH town, don’t LIKE open and transparent – so citizens have to force them to remember that it is THEIR money that the Pols are spending.
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NH’s Granny D, who walked across the country for campaign reform (public funding), died this week at 100. Even though being a hardline Democrat, NH Republicans had nice words for her, even NH GOP Chair Sununu. Drew at the Union Leader, however, notes that the civility was not returned by NH Democrat Chair Ray "Buckles" Buckley upon the passing of a former NH First Lady, Gail Thomson. Drew’s correct assesment (emphasis mine):
I guess Buckley couldn’t bring himself to say anything nice about her. She wasn’t “progressive,” so she doesn’t deserve some kind words even in passing, apparently. Jaw-droppingly crass.
Yup, that’s Buckles to the core!
Drew also had this thought concerning the Democrats leading the charge in the NH Senate and House:
If Maggie Hassan, Terie Norelli and Sylvia Larsen could wave a magic wand and get exactly the government they want, how high would our income and sales taxes be?
Far higher than necessary, and not high enough for them is the answer. That IS the Progressive way, as THEY know better where OUR money should be spent, right?
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Amy has a story about flipping a coin to decide a political tie – and she’s part of it! Two politicians, a tied vote, and her coin determines the winner.
Heh! I liked one of the comments as a better method:
I prefer the old Germanic way: "Trial by Battle."
Amy also has one of her great pictures – Spring is coming!
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Tom at Libertarian Leaning has an article as to why the Dems are willing to launch themselves off the cliff politically to get Universal Healthcare passed – he, too, knows, that it will change America forever like the Progressives want. He quotes a Wall Street Journal article:
Mr. Cassidy is more honest than the politicians whose dishonesty he supports. "The U.S. government is making a costly and open-ended commitment," he writes. "Let’s not pretend that it isn’t a big deal, or that it will be self-financing, or that it will work out exactly as planned. It won’t. What is really unfolding, I suspect, is the scenario that many conservatives feared. The Obama Administration . . . is creating a new entitlement program, which, once established, will be virtually impossible to rescind."
Why are they doing it? Because, according to Mr. Cassidy, ObamaCare serves the twin goals of "making the United States a more equitable country" and furthering the Democrats’ "political calculus." In other words, the purpose is to further redistribute income by putting health care further under government control, and in the process making the middle class more dependent on government. As the party of government, Democrats will benefit over the long run.
It is as many of us think – actual healthcare is just a tool to get there.
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Mr. Pink Eyes at America’s Watchtower reminds us that here in NH, Republicans have now won 7 out of the last 8 special elections (as the incumbents have left office).
New Hampshire residents are sick and tired of the out of control spending, as well as all the tax and “fee” increases that have been coming from Concord and they appear ready for a change. My congressman, Carol Shea-Porter could be in real trouble in November. As could be the Democrat vying to replace Paul Hodes in district 2 as he prepares what could be an ill fated attempt to replace retiring Republican senator Judd Gregg.
Will this tremendous series of totally underwhelming results put Buckles into retirement?
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From Maggie’s Farm:
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Keith at Lighthouse Journal writes something I can agree to:
Progressives complain about big oil companies, yet it’s the Big Government that is usually the root cause of most of America’s problems. Permits were originally designed to maintain safety standards, not to harass and cause the cost of home building skyrocket. If permits and government fees are costing too much, it means that government is getting too big.
Big Government is an intrusive entity, falsely claiming they are just there to help. And people who delight in sticking their noses in others business seems to be their passion – you know the ones that when they see something they don’t like, they immediately ask the Big Government to step in – need to stick to their own affairs, it should keep them busy enough.
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Cathy at Citizens for Reasonable and Fair Taxes – Croyden has a legit rant:
How do you spell greed – "T-E-A-C-H-E-R-U-N-I-O-N-S" This is why teachers’ unions hate homeschooling every student at home is money out of their pockets and money in taxpayers pockets. 38 free massages a year.
But Cathy, it’s ALWAYS for the kids, right?
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Maggie’s Farm nails our problem with Gubmint and the Busy-bodies that inhabit it:
Does Government Have To Do Everything? Darn good question. Simple answer: No. We The People aren’t morons. In fact, we’re the Boss. We create the money that they spend.
Here’s a ‘graph from the link:
The fact that must be faced is that much of the government’s growth has occurred as a result of a belief that government must be activist; that it must always be involved in solving problems, enacting legislation, regulating the activities of the nation, and the lives of its people. I cannot remember a time when the network news mentioned that Congress was going back into session and didn’t have anything major to work on. Congress has become so activist that candidates always campaign by promising to make government more active, rather than less. Almost no one runs for office on the platform of eliminating government programs; it is always adding more to the blob that threatens to engulf our entire society. And the Capitol Hill reporters are always reminding us of the "vital" pieces of legislation that are in process. It is assumed that whatever Congress is doing is both necessary to the national interest and constitutionally permitted. Almost never does anyone on the inside of government raise such an issue, and then it is usually because someone is stepping on someone else’s toes.
Constitutional? Overstepping? Such quaint notions….it’s like politicians were supposed to follow rules of law or something…
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