Liars!

Yes, the very tax cuts that did not even exist, the ones GWB screwed the Middle class out of for the better part of the decade, just appeared at the wave of a talking point memo, whipping out seven years of dishonest, backhanded, left wing class warfare rhetoric, simply because it had suddenly become politically convenient to have democrats extending something they insisted never even existed.

Picking Up The Gauntlet

The morning after I had taken my first casual whack at eliminating the deficit–The New York Times has a nifty interactive form you can use (here) to check off items it chose from the debt commission report to see if and how you might solve the problem–I wake up to a Google Alert that’s practically calling my name.

"Where Will Frank Guinta, Granite Grok, The Republican Liberty Caucus Of New Hampshire & The NH Tea Party Movement Come Down On Bowles-Simpson?"

The link leads to content from Heather Mac Donald (great last name) via the The Monday Morning Clacker--which is where we find out that "this is our last chance to meet Heather’s challenge."

That’s a bit dramatic, and hardly accurate.  If it wasn’t for Google Alerts, the mention of Guinta, and the fact that Heather and I share a last name I never would have even known about it, or the imagined arbitrary deadline.  Be that as it may, I accept.

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Conservative Resonation…Progressive Resignation

phone%20ringing.jpg

Two key points of interest came up in polling over the past week…

[#1] "Voters more likely to see Democrats as dominated by extremists"

Did you hear that Marjorie Smith and Mary Jane WallnerDid you?

According to The Hill’s 2010 Midterm Election Poll, "likely voters in battleground districts see extremists as having more dominant influence over the Democrat Party than they do over the GOP."  I can’t say that I’m surprised but it’s gratifying to see evidence of what you instinctively knew all along.

The difference in this is 7 points: 44% Democrat, 37% Republican.  The poll, having a 1.5% MOE, was of likely voters; not from any particular party, not just independents, and not random people, but 4,047 likely voters, living in key-race districts.

The icing on this cake is the fact that 22% of Democrats in the poll said that their party was dominated by "extremists", compared to 11% of Republicans answering the same question….how ’bout that, ladies? (using the term very loosely)

The candy on top of the icing is what Independents said: 43% of likely independent voters thought that the Democrat party was more dominated by "extremists", compared to 37% who felt the same way about the Republican party.

Oh boy!  Democrats had better get the burn cream and bandages out, and ready to apply in 14 days.

[#2] "Independents prefer cutting the deficit to spending on jobs"

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Not Even A Passable Fraud

Matt has a nice post up at Red Hampshire revealing the disconnect between reality and the fantasy of Paul Hodes.  He provides us with a mid-debate tweet from the Hodes campaign…

 

Credit: Red Hampshire

 

…and then offers us the evidence that Hodes is lying about it by posting the AFT press release refuting Hodes.

This is all fine for what it is worth.   But what interests me more is that this tweet contradicts his own campaign focus and reveals the fundamental flaws of a liberal democrat like Paul Hodes.  These are not the words of any fiscal conservative I know.

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Let’s Play Ball

If you believe the rhetoric Carol Seiu-Porter and Paul ‘Hot Dog’ Hodes are bulwarks of the middle class lifestyle and protectors of the elderly.  So what would they make of this, from a letter sent to Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday?

A number of tax cuts enacted in the past decade are due to expire at the end of this year. Our fiscal policy should be one that maximizes economic growth and private sector job creation. That is why we strongly believe that Congress should extend the current tax rates for dividend and long-term capital gains taxes…We [] have a responsibility to protect middle class families and seniors from harmful tax increases and their economic impact…

Many seniors depend on this income to supplement their fixed retirement income. A recent study found that in 2007 over 27 million tax returns had dividends qualifying for the reduced tax rate reduction. Of those returns, 61 percent were from taxpayers age 50 and older and 30 percent were from taxpayers age 65 and older.

Would they say it’s just a ploy by the authors to excuse an extension on tax cuts for the wealthy?   Could we expect promises to fix it, whatever it was that needed fixing, after the fact?  Or would they simply dismiss it and ignore the consequences to the elderly and those nearing retirement like they did with health insurance reform?

So what would they say if the letter was sent to Nancy Pelosi by 47 House democrats?

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Another New Hampshire Myth Busted!

Thirty nine democrats voted with republicans to hold off the adjournment, but the vote fell short, leaving the tax hikes on the books as the House leaves to defend two years of excessive spending, massive debt, the democrats unpopular health care plan, the failure to utilize Pay-Go as promised, the inability to even try and form a budget, repeated ethical lapses by liberal law makers, and a host of other ills that have driven their approval rating to historical lows.

Tax Cuts For The “Insert name here”

Don’t expect ShaHodeSheaPorter to wrestle with this conundrum; while running for office in 2008 they insisted that the Bush Tax cuts were "for the rich," or "the wealthiest Americans."  The class warfare rhetoric made the case that Republicans didn’t provide tax relief for anyone else, and the democrats promised to remedy this the moment they were elected.  The result was to embark on a multi-trillion dollar spending binge that cannot possibly be paid for without taxes on everyone and everything–though they still insist otherwise.

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Ann McLane Kuster….Let’s just Call Her McLuster

Uh Hee hee, duh!Ann McLane Kuster, aside from having another one of those pretentious feminist names like Carol Seiu-Porter, has demonstrated to us that she is just another shill for the left wing narrative.  The road map to shill-dom (the most current public version at the very least) was printed in this morning’s Union Leader under the headline “Yes, The Bush tax cuts did harm our economy” in the Another View section of the editorial page.  Yes, it is another view, and while I’m no fan of GWB, her view just happens to be a biased view that is also wrong.

 

Before I explain why, let me get this out of the way.  I’m not writing ‘Ann McLane Kuster’ anymore. It is pretentious and annoying, it takes too long to write, so I’m just going to shorten it to McLuster.    And she should thank me.  Combining names is so “all the rage.”  Just think Brangalina! 

McLuster is also the first of a two–word phrase often used by McDonald’s mangers when everything suddenly comes off the rails.  And based on the way she “sees it,” it’s a short stumble from her rhetorical notion of economics to another full-blown federally-mandated McLuster- %$#@!

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As goes Colorado, so goes the country?

Voters Want Green… In Their Wallets Guest Post By Howard Rich As the fallout continues to settle from the 2009 elections, among the more overlooked results was a ballot issue in Boulder County, Colorado that would have extended an existing sales tax to fund the acquisition of additional “open space.” Obviously, this regional issue didn’t … Read more

GOP members of the NH House ready budget cuts

not going to listen

Dems taking GOP input?

At a press conference held yesterday, Minority Leader Sherm Packard, along with a large group of fellow NH House Republicans, released the following document outlining a proposed series of budget cuts totalling $181.9 million that they will introduce should the budget fail to pass today.

“House Republicans Offer Cost-Saving Budget Alternatives”

Concord-House Republican Leader Sherm Packard (Londonderry) stood with HB 1 & HB 2 Republican House Conferees today to discuss the impending budget vote and to propose  several alternatives.

“Representatives Kurk and Scamman offered several spending reductions in the conference committee budget, some were accepted and most were ignored,” stated Packard.  “The fact of the matter is that budgets across the country have seen an average 2% decrease in their state spending and the Democrat majority in Concord has increased state spending by an unconscionable 7.7%.”

“Republicans were not fully involved in this budget process and while a suggestion or two may have been accepted, there are no significant and meaningful cuts in state spending which would defer the need for the additional taxes and fees that Democrats added in the last hours of conference,” added Republican Conferee Representative Neal Kurk (Weare).

No less than a dozen fees were increased, in some cases doubled, with the implementation of several tax plans including tightening belts for LLCs, increasing the Rooms & Meals tax, increasing the tobacco tax for the fourth time in five years and adding a new tax on gambling winnings.

“I am disappointed by these tax and fee increases,” said Republican Conferee Alternate, Rep. Doug Scamman (Stratham).  “We hurt businesses and we hurt the cities and towns of our state.  This is not the New Hampshire way.”

Republicans will be offering a continuing resolution to keep state government going at a fiscally responsible level, should the massive spending and taxing increases contained in House Bills 1 & 2 fail to pass the House in session on June 24 and call on all their colleagues to support this plan. 

 Here are the specific proposed cuts:

 

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Recovery from the disaster in Concord IS possible, but it depends on good people getting active.

lifeline

 

Disaster in Concord

Guest post by Karen Testerman

NH’s General Court is proposing to tax anything that is moving or breathing.  However, you the taxpayer know their focus is misdirected.  The whole of the current administration is looking at the symptoms, what they term, "a lack of revenue."

However, the current economic disaster with a growing $150 million deficit is in reality a SPENDING problem. 

It is a sad commentary that the Governor continues to speak out of both sides of his mouth.  On the one hand he told the residents of this great state that we are facing a budget deficit and he would not approve further spending.  Oh, by the way that was several months ago while the corner office worked with both houses to make social reconstruction the number one issue in our state. 

Taking advantage of a self-created "crisis" to re-engineer the foundational institution of society to divert your attention, while the General Court passed spending measure after spending measure to create the current $150 million disaster.  One wonders what underlying activities are taking place while the attention is now focused on the self created "spending spree" crisis.

And now, to address the created budget deficit, the Governor and both houses are proposing tax increase after tax increase and other potential ONE TIME revenue resources like gambling to make up the difference.

However, any of you who sits at the kitchen table knows that if there isn’t enough coming in (revenue) then some how the spending (proposed budget) must be reduced.

 

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A view on the economy from an ordinary guy in central NH…

 

Please note that while I don’t claim to be an economist, I have enough of an understanding of basic economic theory to know that we face some clear dangers if we are not careful.

It is easy to see on the one hand that things in certain sectors seem pretty much unchanged. Some businesses appear to be functioning at or near normal levels, while others, less so. Many folks believe that after a period of time, things will bounce back the way they usually do. This leads to, for most I’d bet, token belt-tightening. “Sure, things are tough,” they say, “but not for me. I’ll cut back a little and wait and see what happens.” Believe me, I hope that this is indeed the case—that we’re simply in a wrinkle that will soon iron itself out.

But on the other hand, what happens if, despite the relative health of those businesses with plenty of work and people that still have money, other forces come together to destroy even that? Then what?

I maintain that a good chunk of the current economic drawdown and cutbacks is nothing more than the natural cycle of the marketplace, with ups and downs being the so-called correcting factors that ultimately keep things in balance. What seems to have made things different in this latest go-around, however, is that it was greatly exacerbated by too much credit issued that in another time would have been denied. People were buying stuff—lots of it, including cars and houses—on credit that they should have never been given, because they could never realistically pay it back. And now, banks and other lending institutions are left holding the proverbial bag.

While nobody decried the good times as they lasted, the market was producing an excess of goods and houses that created a “bubble” that expanded far and above the norm. The natural result was that the economy of nearly the whole world ended up growing to fill it, and, when the end came, well, we’ve seen the results with the further cutting of manufacturing jobs, joined in full force by the former denizens of the overheated construction industry. There is much truth to the old adage, “what goes up, must come down.” I have always believed that—perhaps it’s the cynic in me, but I’ve yet to really see it otherwise. Sadly for those very real people whose lives are affected, this is the normal cycle of life. Thankfully, history further tells us that things must also go up. The big question, then, is how long?

 

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2 “Bailout” Proposals we could support: A 30% marginal rate cut, or a “tax holiday”

I cannot help but feel uneasy about the federal government doling out tax dollars like there’s no tomorrow to people who have already demonstrated a failure to adapt and change within their chosen marketplace. It is said that the definition of lunacy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.  The same goes for giving people money in the face of future high risk of failure. If the private sector– either through loans or outright purchase offers– fails to demonstrate interest in a business entity, why should the government, in the name of its shareholder/taxpayers, be any different?

I have come to the belief that the only true way to “stimulate” the economy without building more credit debt (adding more levels to the “house of cards” that has been the economy to a certain extent) is by doing it with “real” money. And the only “real” money, when you stop and think about it, is what one has in hand. Instead of printing money–setting the stage for inflation– or taking even more from working and investing Americans and giving it to who Congress and its influence peddlers see fit, how about if they instead simply let working people keep more of what they make each and every week for a period of time?

Take a look at your pay stub. Compare the “gross” pay versus the “net”– your take-home portion. Do the simple subtraction and just imagine what you could do if you were allowed to keep a substantial portion of the difference.

Instead of Senator Windbag taking your money, or mortgaging your great-grandchildren’s futures, and giving it to his favorite banker buddies so they may continue their lavish “hot-tubs and champagne” lifestyles, wouldn’t it be nice to instead use it to purchase something you’ve long wanted? Rather than send that sizeable chunk of your paycheck to states, cities, and counties that refuse to eliminate waste, your money, spent as YOU see fit might be just the “stimulating” boost the manufacturer and retailer of your desired product needs.

Why, given the right incentive, some people might decide to save a little for a down payment on a house or that shiny new Chevy truck that catches their eye in the lot of the neighborhood dealer. Who knows? But one thing’s for certain– more money, if people were allowed to keep more of their “gross” weekly earnings– would be instantly and immediately moving around. Some people might pay off debt, thus infusing badly needed dollars to cash-strapped lending institutions. And yes, some others might simply SAVE the money for future needs- nothing wrong with that, either—and would that not help banks, too? 

The bottom line is that the more the free wheels of the economy spin while satisfying the needs and desires of people with cash, the more it should rise. And you don’t have to take my word for it, all you have to do is take a look back to some fairly recent history, and let it be your guide. I’m talking, of course, about the Reagan era—that brief moment in time when we truly were a “shining city on a hill.” Rather than “redistributing the wealth,” prosperity happened for many people who, following years of high taxation, got to keep more of the fruits of their labor. And, like wildfire, the newly kept dollars made their way across the economy. Oh, and we managed to win the Cold War during that time as well.

To that end, I have discovered two possibilities that could go a long way towards reinvigorating the Reagan economy’s successes.

 

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Reagan 2.0 The Petition. Tell Congress: No bailouts! Tax rate cuts! Bring Prosperity Back.

Ronald Reagan

Just got this. Even though there are some things to like about Obama’s 310 billion dollar tax cut proposal, I like the following idea from William Collier better:

Remember 1980?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average at 759. Less than 10% of its current value.

The unemployment rate around 7%. Almost 40% higher than today.

Inflation rate? 13%. Around triple of today’s.

A misery index of 20%. More than double today’s.

In the White House: Jimmy Carter. Hectoring America for its “malaise.”

Then what happened? We elected Ronald Reagan president.

Reagan cut the income tax rate 30% across the board. And stood behind Paul Volcker’s strengthening the dollar.

What happened next? Prosperity happened.

America took off and never looked back. Now, looking back, we remember the recipe for Prosperity. We appreciate the need to assist ordinary citizens in their time of hardship. The best way to do that is by using the bailout money to bring back Prosperity.

The $700 billion appropriated for bailouts more than covers the costs of A renewed 30% across-the-board tax rate cut. AND a payroll tax cut.

We know this works. We did it before. It worked. It will work.

Reagan 2.0: a 30% across-the board tax cut. And a payroll tax cut.

Sign this petition for Congress. Make your voice heard now. No bailouts! Tax rate cuts! Bring Prosperity Back.

The Petition To the Congress of the United States of America:

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Amendment to CACR 34: Language only a budding despot could love.

Government Approved Edukashun Former State Representative Paul Mirski sends the following warning: RE: Proposed [Public Education] Amendment to CACR 34 There is a reason why there is no language in New Hampshire’s original 1784 constitution concerning the teaching of curriculum in schools.  It is because the writers of the constitution and their constituents were the … Read more

VLog: Rudy the supply sider?

….                  JFK- Cut taxes      Rudy- cut taxes, increase revenues       Reagan- cut taxes                 increased revenues                                                    increased revenues . Having been to see Rudy Giuliani at a handful of campaign events, one thing that really strikes me is how strong a believer he is in the free market and peoples’ ability to make decisions on their own, free … Read more

Rudy– Defending his record on taxes.

In a story posted today on the campaign web site, Rudy Giuliani puts his record on cutting taxes front and center. In a piece entitled, "RUDY MAKES ¢ENTS DAY ONE: Mayor Giuliani Cut Taxes 23 Times,"  America’s Mayor offers proof of where he stands on taxation. "I believe that you collect more money from lower … Read more

The Forgotten Story: It’s the Economy, Stupid!

In this week’s radio address, President Bush talks about the economy. It is no secret that the economy is humming along at a pretty good clip at the moment and jobs are generally available to those who want to work. Additionally, opportunities abound for those with the entrepreneurial drive to make it on their own. All in all, for many people, these are good times. Funny though, we don’t hear much about any of this from the mainstream media these days. That’s because any good news might reflect kindly on the President, and of course, we couldn’t have that now, could we? If Clinton were the President, that’s all we’d be hearing 24/7- you know, the great "Clinton economy."
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While I believe that it’s the people themselves that actually make this great economy work, there are actions engaged in by the federal government that can help it or hurt it. Luckily for us, President Bush’s policies are more about helping it by getting government out of the way of the forward motion of our industrious spirit. Oh- and these policies allow more of us to keep a larger portion of the fruits of our labor by paying less in taxes. On this, President Bush is spot-on. The President explains:
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Election Day is around the corner, and one of the biggest issues at stake in this campaign is your taxes. Here is my philosophy: I believe that our economy grows and the American Dream reaches more citizens when you keep more of what you earn. With more money in your pocket, it is easier for families to afford a good education, it is easier for young people to afford the down payment on a home of their own, and it’s easier for small business owners to go out and invest and create jobs.
Amen! While President Bush isn’t much of a conservative when it comes to the size of government and how his administration prepares the budget, his aforementioned "philosophy" should be music to every conservative’s (and ordinary working American’s, for that matter) ears. But alas, we don’t hear it much these days, as the mainstream media focuses on all that they can to make Bush and the Republicans look bad. The President continues, explaining what’s been done to let us keep more of our hard-earned paychecks:
So my administration and the Republican Congress enacted the largest tax relief since Ronald Reagan was in the White House. We cut taxes for every American who pays income taxes. We doubled the child tax credit. We reduced the marriage penalty. We cut taxes on small business. We cut taxes on capital gains and dividends to promote investment and jobs. And to reward family businesses and farmers for a lifetime of hard work and savings, we put the death tax on the path to extinction.
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Now the results of these tax cuts are in. The tax cuts we passed have left more than a trillion dollars in the hands of American workers, families, and small businesses, and you have used that money to fuel a strong and growing economy. Last year, our economy grew faster than any other major industrialized nation. This week, we learned that our economy grew by 1.6 percent during the third quarter of this year. As we expected, this rate is slower than in previous quarters. Yet the evidence still points to a vibrant economy that is providing more jobs and better wages for our workers and helping reduce the federal deficit.
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So my administration and the Republican Congress enacted the largest tax relief since Ronald Reagan was in the White House. We cut taxes for every American who pays income taxes. We doubled the child tax credit. We reduced the marriage penalty. We cut taxes on small business. We cut taxes on capital gains and dividends to promote investment and jobs. And to reward family businesses and farmers for a lifetime of hard work and savings, we put the death tax on the path to extinction.
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Now the results of these tax cuts are in. The tax cuts we passed have left more than a trillion dollars in the hands of American workers, families, and small businesses, and you have used that money to fuel a strong and growing economy. Last year, our economy grew faster than any other major industrialized nation. This week, we learned that our economy grew by 1.6 percent during the third quarter of this year. As we expected, this rate is slower than in previous quarters. Yet the evidence still points to a vibrant economy that is providing more jobs and better wages for our workers and helping reduce the federal deficit.
Ah, the deficit- did you know it’s been halved from where it stood several years back? Many people probably don’t, because the mainstream media doesn’t seem to care as much when it goes down as it does when it goes up (and a Republican occupies the White House).

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If the Dems win… a look to the future.

The taxpayer watchdog group Americans for Tax Reform has issued the following press release. While they may not openly trumpet their real plan for America, Democratic party leaders do give clues from time to time. Discerning their actual agenda should they win in the November elections reminds me of the days of "Kremlin watchers" trying to get a … Read more

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