How Do We Think PresBo Is Doing?

Every now and then it helps to look at public opinion polls to get a feel for what people think about subjects. Heck, many politicians positively survive by them. So, any polls out recently?
Why, yes. Yes, there are. In fact, THREE recent polls are worth mentioning.

First, most people believe that tax cuts will stimulate the economy. According to a recent Rasmussen report, 63% of respondents believe tax cuts will stimulate the economy, and 51% believe tax increases will hurt the economy.

“Seventy-two percent (72%) of Republicans say tax cuts would help the economy, as do 68% of unaffiliated voters and 52% of Democrats. Seventy-six percent (76%) of GOP voters and 58% of unaffiliateds say tax increases would hurt the economy, but just 27% of Democrats feel the same way.”

PresBo better pay attention. He’s looking at large margins here, and if he wants his party to retain Congressional seats, they need to rethink their course.


Another study found that , despite massive campaigning, support for PresBo’s budget is statistically unchanged. So nothing to comment on, right? Wrong. Because those results came after PresBo engaged in a massive sales campaign to convince people his budget is a good idea. Without those efforts, it is likely support would have plummeted. So the question is, how long can PresBo keep it up? His budget is a bad idea, and people are beginning to realize it.

“People who feel positively about his budget fell from 44% in late February to 39% this week. People who feel negatively about the budget increased one point to 27% in the same time frame. And after all that budget talk, people who claim to not know enough to have an opinion increased 10% from 30% to 33%.”

The third poll showed that people don’t blame PresBo for our economic troubles. However, support for the way he is dealing with such issues as budget deficits and his plans for dealing with economic recovery is falling.

If you ask me, PresBo spends far too much time fixing blame on other people and trying to re-invent government to conform with with his ultra-liberal ideology. He doesn’t spend enough time trying to determine what actions will actually be effective and be beneficial to us normal citizens. This combination will go a long way towards contributing to PresBo’s ultimate failure as President.
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Tea Party Updates

The Montgomery Tea Party is scheduled for April 15th at High Noon... just a little more than two weeks away. Planning is nearly complete, and a list of speakers will be posted in a few days.

To visit the website for the Montgomery Tea Party, click here.

New on the website today are maps to the events and recommended parking areas. Also new are flyers for your use... feel free to print and distribute them to anyone you think might be interested.


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Automakers: Bailout or Bankruptcy?

Those who know anything at all about economics understand what should happen to automakers, banks, and other companies seeking bailout funds from the Federal Government: They should fail.

The free market functions with Darwinian pressures. Those companies that invest and expand intelligently will prosper, and those who make mistakes will stumble and fall. If a company has made unwise investments (or whatever) and is in danger of collapsing, it should be left to collapse… to save it via outside intervention (i.e. the government and bailout funds) isn’t compassionate, it’s just begging for trouble. If bailed out, there are no adverse consequences to warn the company from their previous actions, and so questionable processes will likely continue.

If the companies are allowed to fail, they will be sold piecemeal to other companies, who will then expand to meet the sudden opportunity. The market survives and thrives in this way. Bailouts of failing companies simply perpetuate the behavior that caused the problems in the first place.


PresBo is taking steps that some conservatives are claiming are “Republican in nature,” though I am not so optimistic. To be specific, he is refusing to supply any more bailout funds to automobile companies at this time. He has set a short deadline and claims that the government may well just “walk away” and let them fail.

On the surface that sounds good, but has PresBo REALLY changed his spots? No, not really. He is using this as one massive bargaining tool to gain more control over those businesses. Just this weekend, GM CEO and Chairman Rick Waggoner was forced to step down because of pressure from the White House. Having power over who is fired and hired must be heady stuff to PresBo, but he wants still more.

“Two people familiar with the plan said officials will demand further sacrifices from the automakers and bankruptcy would still be possible if the automakers failed to restructure.”

Notice that phrase, “further sacrifices.” That’s Polispeak for government control. Government will tell the companies what they should do, and expect them to fall in line.

Remember that PresBo and his administration think that Government is the answer to all problems. Need proof? Tax cheat and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says that the market cannot work to correct our current problems, and that only government can solve it. With that as a mindset, how can we believe PresBo REALLY thinks letting automakers fail is the best way? No, he just wants to use the threat as leverage to get more "sacrifices" (read: control) from the automakers.

"The market will not solve this. And the great risk for us is we do too little, not that we do too much."

All that is bad enough, but THIS I found incredibly ironic.

“An exasperated administration official noted that the companies had not done enough to reduce debt; in some cases, it actually increased during this restructuring and review process.”

How can PresBo criticize companies for increasing debt when that’s EXACTLY the economic recovery plan that he has outlined for our country? If it’s bad for companies to run too much debt, isn’t it far worse for our NATION to do so?

No, I don’t think PresBo has changed at all; he’s still the same hypocritical, power-hungry socialist that he always was. To paraphrase the prayer: “Government is great, Government is good, let us thank It for everything…”


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Tea party: Media Coverage

I got a call from WAKA Channel 8 a little before 5:00 PM this evening, asking me to do an interview about the Tax Day Tea Party. I scrambled a bit, because they wanted to do it before 6:00 PM. We taped the interview about 5:45, in front of the Alabama State House. I guess this has been a VERY slow news day (grin), because the interview should air as the lead story for the 10:00 newscast tonight.


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Greedy Schools

Well, the stimulus numbers for the schools have come out and (surprise, surprise!) the Alabama schools are “disappointed” that the numbers aren’t larger.

Look, you could double the school budget today and they would STILL want more money. I have asked this question many times and have NEVER gotten an answer. How much money for schools is “enough?” At what point will school leaders look at the massive amounts of cash at their disposal and say “We’re good?”


The answer is, of course, that will never happen. Schools will always cry poor-mouth and ask for more money, no matter how much money you throw at them. The fact that the school system just received an additional $600 million in funding and is STILL asking for more is not surprising to me.

When will people learn that feeding the monster just gives you a bigger monster to feed tomorrow, one that will demand even more?
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Law-Abiding… Government?

Most people realize that we have laws that limit what we, as citizens, can and cannot do. We cannot steal, murder, or assault, for example. We may not travel faster than the speed limit, or the wrong way down a one-way road. And if we do on of those things anyway, then we are held accountable under the law. That means a fine, community service, or jail time.

What many don’t realize is that the Government also has limitations on what it can and cannot do. For the Federal Government, those limitations are spelled out in the US Constitution and Federal law. For our State government, the limitations can be found in the US Constitution, Federal law, the State Constitution, and State law. Unfortunately, the people in government who try to break a law or violate the Constitution are never punished or held accountable for their actions.


Most of us are law–abiding citizens… which is why it is particularly odious to me when the Government attempts to do things that they are not allowed to do. When the Montgomery County Commission tried to levy an illegal occupational tax, for example, I helped organize protests to stop it. And when those protests failed, I was one of the people who sued the County to get the tax overturned as unconstitutional… which it was by a unanimous Alabama Supreme Court ruling. Nobody in the County Commission was punished for trying to violate State Law, though the tax was scrapped.

This time the perpetrators are Governor Riley and the State Government. There is a state law that says private companies can hold contracts to operate concessions on State land for no more than 12 years. Governor Riley wanted to give a private company the right to operate a luxury hotel on the coast for 70 years. Aware that it was illegal, he tried to sidestep the law by leasing the beachfront land to Auburn University, and having AU give the private company the 70-year contract.

I guess that’s what makes me most angry about this. Obviously Riley KNEW that what he wanted to do was illegal, and he was trying to find a way around the clear intent of the law. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that he cannot do this, and that his actions ARE limited by State Law.

Unfortunately, that’s as far as it goes. Riley will not be punished for trying to break the law, nor will anybody else. This is unconscionable. If one of us tried to break the law and failed, by committing attempted robbery or attempted murder, for example, we would go to jail anyway. So why is it that Governor Riley tried to break the law and is not punished at all? It appears to be a double standard.

Oh, and what was the Riley administration’s reaction to the ruling?

"Unless we can get the act changed by the Legislature, Alabama will continue missing out on convention business and the revenue associated with it, and we face the possibility of having to close state parks."

No contrition or regret for trying to break the law. No recognition that he and his administration had just failed in their attempt to become criminals.

Shouldn’t he have tried to change the law BEFORE trying to break it? Or does he have such a great disregard for the law that it just doesn’t matter?
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Tea Party Developments

The Tea Party planning is coming along fine. I was asked to appear before the Montgomery County Republican Executive Committee on Thursday night to talk about the Tea Party, and I did. It went well, and they agreed to ask their membership to support our Tea Party and attend. I am more than willing to speak to anybody who wants me to.

(See the Tea Party website here.)

I understand that WACV 1170 Talk Radio host Greg Budell has been talking favorably about the Tea Party on the air, and has indicated that he would like to be a speaker. We had already sent him an invitation to speak, but have not yet received a reply to it. We’ll arrange it with him.


We have also been contacted by news media wanting to do interviews about the Tea Party. Look for those in the (hopefully near) future.

Our speaker roster is just about set, though we will make the final determination on Monday. As I expected, we now have more people wanting to speak than we have time for. (grin) We even have a few surprises for you, so come out and see what they are.

This is going to be a great event, and we invite everybody to come out on April 15th at High Noon in front of the Alabama State House. Join your voices to ours as we say “NO!” to fiscal irresponsibility in Washington DC.
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Update

I want to apologize for not posting anything today, I was dealing with a minor medical emergency in the family. I should be back to posting tomorrow morning.


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More Amateur Hour

It is ironic that the short description of a Presidency should come from a member of PresBo’s own administration who was trying to defend from attacks that most people hadn’t heard. The first I heard about “amateur hour” was with the Obama administration claimed that it WASN’T amateur hour at the White House. And when I heard that, I, along with thousands of other people, thought, “That certainly is a good way to describe it.”

I have written about Amateur Hour before. I’m not alone in my belief that this man is completely clueless up there… others have noticed the same thing.

“In short, the idea of Obama, the eloquent, elegant, trans-racial hero, able to inspire his way around anything, ran into reality and was dissolved by it, revealing a not-well-prepared neophyte politician with an embarrassing penchant for gaffes.”


And few people seem willing to accept PresBo’s nominations… which should tell us something. Has any other modern President had so much trouble getting people to accept his nomination for a job… and not “voluntarily withdraw” themselves?

Let’s face it, PresBo’s teleprompter is stealing the national spotlight, and even has its own blog. Quite funny.

“The markets are down, the price tags are up, the British are piqued, and the independents are heading back to the Republicans, who now have a (slight) lead in the generic ballot, for the first time in nearly three years.”

Oh well… but at least we made history, America!
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Government Takeovers

Welcome to this brave new world, in which government believes itself so great and omnipotent that it can run businesses better than businessmen can. Treasury Secretary and tax cheat Timothy Geithner has asked for the ability to seize non-banking companies that are on the verge of failing. The unspoken assumption is that government can run them better than businessmen can, and that we’d be idiots not to agree.

PresBo agrees with little Timmy’s unprecedented power grab, and said he hopes it “doesn't take too long to convince Congress.”

But is it really a good idea to let government run private businesses?


To answer that question, let’s look at the United States Postal Service. When I graduated from high school in 1983, stamps cost 20 cents. A year after I graduated from college, stamps cost 25 cents each. Up until 2006, rate increases came no more often than every two or three years. Since 2006, however, we have had a 1-2 cent increase in postage rates every year, raising the 2006 rate of 39 cents to the imminent 44 cent rate (scheduled for May 11).

In spite of all these rate increases, the postal service is now saying they have run out of money and will go bankrupt without a bailout of their own. They lost $2.8 billion last year, and at least a $6 billion deficit is predicted for 2010.

We’ve seen it again and again, the USPS simply cannot run at a profit, and it’s run by the government! We can see the evidence that our federal government cannot run businesses at a profit in a competitive environment, so why on EARTH should we trust them to seize and run more businesses?
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Legislative Update

Two bills of interest have had some activity on them.

First, we have the “Bingo Bill.” This bill would “regulate” electronic bingo machines, which is not something I have a problem with. In doing so, however, the bill would actually create gambling kingpins… only people who live in certain counties and who are willing to invest tens or hundreds of millions of dollars may have electronic bingo machines. So much for small business and equal protection under the law. It’s a bad bill that should not be passed.


Anyway, the Bingo Bill stalled in the Senate because the author, Senator Quinton Ross, asked for time to make changes.

The other bill under discussion would have removed the state sales tax from groceries, which is a good thing. However, it would have accomplished this by making everybody pay Alabama state income taxes on our Federal income tax liability. You know all that money that is taken out of our paychecks, the money we never see? We would have to pay taxes on it just as if it was real income. Another bad bill that deserves to fail.

Well, it did. The grocery tax bill failed to get enough votes to continue, so it has failed. The author, Rep John Knight, pledges to continue pushing for it during the rest of the legislative session.
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Press Conference Notes

Obama held his second televised press conference, and had a lot to say. I won’t completely recap what he said, but you can read an analysis here and the transcript here.

Essentially, he begged for time to fix the economy, and said his four major policy initiatives (health care, energy, education and serious efforts to reduce our budget deficit) were non-negotiable.

“We never expected when we printed out our budget that they would simply Xerox it and vote on it. The bottom line is that I want to see health care, energy, education and serious efforts to reduce our budget deficit.”

On the AIG bonuses, he said he was outraged (in a calm, cool, professor voice) but we shouldn’t demonize people. Essentially, he was straddling the line… starting out by demonizing those who took the bonuses, then warning us we couldn’t do that.

“I'm as angry as anybody about those bonuses that went to some of the very same individuals who brought our financial system to its knees. Bankers and executives on Wall Street need to realize that enriching themselves on the taxpayers' dime is inexcusable, that the days of outsized rewards and reckless speculation that puts us all at risk have to be over. At the same time, the rest of us can't afford to demonize every investor or entrepreneur who seeks to make a profit.”

He made many claims, some of which don’t stack up well to the facts. For example, he claims that it will “take time” for the economy to turn around, and that we must be patient. While that is probably accurate, his own budget assumes a shallow 1.2% decline this year, followed by a 3.2% growth next year… and more than 4% growth in the years following. So his press conference message doesn’t jibe with his own policy.

Another example is his claim that “Our assumptions are perfectly consistent with what blue-chip forecasters out there are saying." Actually, that’s simply not true. The blue-chip forecasters predict the decline this year will be deeper and the later recovery will be weaker.

He did a good job of taking both sides of most issues.

“It's an interesting dichotomy: Obama came before the nation to sell one of the most expensive and politically risky agendas ever offered by a U.S. president, but his language was heavy with caution. A hard-willed plan given a soft sell.”

PresBo gives a good speech and can talk a good game, but ultimately he’s more interested in using our current economic situation to advance his big-government plans. Government is good, big government is better, and it’s good to be the king.
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Power to Destroy

This should be clear to everybody, but elected officials and government employees are not necessarily qualified to run a business. They exist for politics, and all decisions are made for political reasons. That’s why this new move by the Federal Government to acquire more power to seize companies is more than a little scary.

Currently, Treasury has the power to seize banks that are in danger of failing, but tax cheat and Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner wants the power to also seize “non-bank financial companies, such as large insurers, investment firms and hedge funds, whose collapse would damage the broader economy.”


This is bad on two fronts. First, if we expand their power to seize other companies, then other companies will be seized. Can you think of a better way to crush private enterprise than to threaten it with seizure every time the government gets nervous? Or can you think of a better way to guarantee failure than to let the government run them?

Second, once they have established the precedent of seizing non-banks, how long before they expand their powers again to seize an even wider range of businesses? Who do they think they are, Hugo Chavez? I wonder how much of the economy they will control before they are satisfied. President isn’t enough, I suppose, because PresBo is trying hard to make my earlier joke of King Obama I become reality.

We can only HOPE that PresBo and his SecTreas CHANGE their mind and decide not to pursue this potentially destructive power.
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Tea Party: Word is Getting Out

Sorry the post is a little late this morning, but I was a guest on Kevin Elkins’ talk radio show over at News 1440, talking about our Tea Party on April 15th. Kevin Elkins, a long-time radio talk show host, has been talking against the stimulus packages, bailouts, and pork spending. He has also agreed to be a speaker at our Tea Party.

The show went well, overall. There were only three or four callers who disagreed. Two attacked with the “give him a chance” and “you don’t know the stimulus plan won’t work” arguments. The others tried the “where were you protesting Bush’s spending” path. I tried hard to keep the focus on what we are attempting to accomplish, and I think I did a fair job.

Before we were even finished, Kevin asked me to come back at 7 am on Monday, April 13th, to talk about it again.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Tea Party we are planning will be a good one, and it will make the point to our elected officials in DC that we can’t tax and spend our way to prosperity. Repeal the pork; Cut taxes!


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PresBo’s Policies Taking Hit

Two months into his Presidency, PresBo is taking major hits on his policies. For some strange reason, PresBo is experiencing resistance to his “ambitious plans to extend government intervention in the U.S. private sector.” Also, notable liberal commenter Paul Krugman, writing for the New York Times, is absolutely trashing PresBo’s financial policies.

“And I fear that when the plan fails, as it almost surely will, the administration will have shot its bolt: it won’t be able to come back to Congress for a plan that might actually work. What an awful mess.”

Hurray.


Of course, it doesn’t help that PresBo acts like he doesn’t have a clue as to what he’s doing, and allows his administration spokespeople to talk him into backing both sides of an issue. Don’t believe me? Remember last week when the House passed a bill laying a 90% tax on those bonuses? PresBo’s first reaction was supportive, saying it rightly reflects the outrage that many people feel. That’s great… except Vice President Biden’s financial advisor said that the 90% tax bill may have gone too far.

"I think the president would be concerned that this bill may go too far -- the House bill -- may go too far in terms of some legal issue: constitutional validity, using the tax code to surgically punish a small group of people. That may be a dangerous way to go. That said, let's see what comes out of the Senate. He has not said he won't sign this bill. Let's see what comes out of the Senate. Let's see what gets to his desk."

So we see the administration taking both sides of this issue, and doing so fairly clumsily. Which is it, PresBo? Are you concerned that Congress’ bill of attainder is unconstitutional?

Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is weighing in again and, surprise surprise, is trashing PresBo’s policies.

“BARACK Obama is refusing to shift on his ambitious - some say reckless - budget plans, despite warnings at the weekend from one of the US's most respected forecasters that it will commit Washington to running unsustainable deficits and increase borrowing to more than $US9 trillion ($13.06 trillion) over the next decade.”

Isn’t that lovely? Wait, here’s another one!

“The CBO said at the weekend that Mr Obama's policies would cause government spending to swell above historic levels even after the costly programs to alleviate the recession and shore up the financial system have ended. The result, the CBO said, was that by 2019 the US national debt would be about 82 per cent of GDP - about double where it is today.”

And what are Democrats saying about this? Well, here are the words of Senator Evan Bayh, a man who was on the short list of people for Obama’s vice-presidential slot.

"Our nation's current fiscal imbalance is unprecedented, unsustainable, and if unaddressed, a major threat to our currency and our economic vitality.”

Lovely. Just lovely.
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More Unintended Consequences

There’s a bill in the Legislature that would regulate bingo machines. To do that, they create “bingo-zones” by restricting electronic bingo to 10 specific locations in 7 counties. Electronic bingo would be illegal at any other location in the state. In other words, the legislation would create monopolies on electronic bingo.

So where are the unintended consequences? What about charities?

It seems that many charities, such as the Elks Lodge, are raising money by using electronic bingo machines. This new bill, called the “Sweet Home Alabama” bill, would critically injure their fund-raising efforts.

"The bill will absolutely put the fraternal organizations that depend on bingo out of business."
Mickey Hooten, chairman of the trustees and the bingo committee at Elks Lodge 79 in East Lake.

The problem with any governmental action is that there are ALWAYS unforeseen consequences. Government officials just aren’t intelligent enough to spot them all… to be honest, NOBODY is that intelligent. In this case, they will happily push forward and to heck with charity fund-raising.

This is a bad bill because it only allows electronic bingo to be run by a few people. Whatever happened to equal protection under the law? If Milton MacGregor can open an electronic bingo parlor, why can’t you?
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Double Taxation

The legislature will be considering a bill on Tuesday that would remove the sales tax on groceries… and also make you pay Alabama State income tax on your Federal income tax liability. Current law exempts money paid to the feds as income tax from being taxed as income in the state. In essence, the state wants to tax as income the money the Feds hold out of your paycheck for income taxes. The bill in question, HB116, would change that.

This bill amounts to a tax increase… the income tax provision would bring in more revenue than the sales tax on groceries does.


This is a bad bill. Why on earth should we pay state income tax on money that we never actually received? I think the attraction for this proposal to liberal representatives is two-fold: It reduces taxes on everybody (food) and looks good, while raising taxes on those who earn more; and it increases state revenue by $60 million per year. Combine those, and you’ve got a bill guaranteed to warn the heart of any liberal in office.

The Republicans say they’re going to fight it, possibly starting on procedural grounds (not enough notice of the calendar for Representatives to read the bills in advance). I hope they do so. This is a bad bill that should not be allowed to pass.
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Back Pay to a Criminal?

Here’s the question: Should a legislator who has been convicted of fraudulently holding a state job without performing the work be entitled to back pay because she was “wrongfully terminated” from that job?

To me, this one’s a no-brainer. Of COURSE not!!!!!

And it seems as if a judge MIGHT agree… he has temporarily stayed the “back pay" order” in the Susan Schmitz case pending a judicial review of the case.


Here’s the story. As you know, Representative Susan Schmitz was convicted of of taking $177,000 in salary from a sham job without performing the work. Prior to her being brought up on charges, however, she was fired from that job for non-performance of work. When she filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination, Montgomery Circuit Judge Truman Hobbs Jr. ruled that she was in fact terminated wrongfully and was due $177,000 in back pay. Now, faced with her criminal conviction, Judge Hobbs has agreed to stay the back pay order.

It is outrageous to think that Schmitz is due ANYTHING other than a lengthy stay in prison. She was convicted for taking the pay without doing the work, and isn’t that why she was fired, as well? How is the back pay order even remotely justifiable?

I am glad to see that the order was temporarily stayed, though it seems to me that it should have been overturned. This is a judicial oops, I think, and the order needs to be reversed.
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CBO Reports on Obama’s Deficit Picture

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has analyzed PresBo’s budget plans, and it seems as if the White House predictions may be a little off. For example, this year’s budget deficit will be higher than projected, hitting at least $1.8 trillion. And over the next four years, the average budget deficit will be over $1 trillion per year.

"Deteriorating economic conditions will cause the federal deficit to soar past $1.8 trillion this year and leave the nation wallowing in a sea of red ink far deeper than the White House had previously estimated, congressional budget analysts said today."

It is my profound hope that this news will cause Congress to be less willing to approve PresBo’s budget plans. Maybe as we learn more about what PresBo’s plans will cost and the impact they will have on the economy, he will lose support in Congress.

We can only Hope.



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PACT Debacle, Chapter 2

From the moment it was announced that the PACT program had suffered from the stock market problems, this next development was inevitable. State officials sped up the timetable by dragging their feet, promising action “in the near future,” and holding a public hearing which half of the board didn’t bother to attend… and those that WERE there did little more than nod their heads occasionally. Now, two who bought PACT accounts for their children are suing the State of Alabama and several corporations, claiming breach of contract and negligence.

"Due to the defendants' collective negligence, wantonness, breach of contract and/or failure to properly administer, invest and/or manage the investments relevant to the PACT plan, the plaintiffs ... will be unable to attend college as the PACT plan intended."

This is a fund that bills itself as a way to help people afford college tuition for their kids. There is a certain implication of reliability. Indeed, for the first few years the literature actually said the college tuition was guaranteed. And even though the language was later removed, PACT continued to portray itself as reliable. I mean, really, who would invest in PACT if they thought it was NOT reliable and that the money they invested was at risk?

If you look at the language, parents purchased a contract. In exchange for paying $400 - $500 a month in premiums for the designated period, their child would have college tuition. PACT calls them contracts, and a contract has two sides. The parents had to invest their money… so what did the state agree to do? What was their side of the contract? They say the money wasn’t guaranteed and so it’s not their fault, but I ask again: What was PACT’s side of the contract, what were they obligated to do?

Certainly the parents would answer that PACT’s side of the contract was to provide four years of college tuition for their kids!

I don’t know how the lawsuit will play out, but it will be interesting to watch.
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AIG Bonuses - Hypocrisy?

The head of AIG was grilled Wednesday, and the rhetoric flew hot and heavy. A lot of people today are talking about the hearing. Essentially, the full weight of Congressional and Presidential disapproval is falling squarely on AIG over the payment of retention bonuses.

At the same time, flying unnoticed below the radar, the federal regulator in charge of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac defended the payment of retention bonuses to executives. There’s that governmental schizophrenia again.

And yesterday the US House of Reprensetatives voted on a bill to tax those AIG bonuses at 90%... despite the fact that this targeted tax is quite likely unConstitutional. And did any of our Alabama Congressmen vote in favor of this outrageous targeted tax?

Of course. Voting yes on that bill were Reps. Bobby Bright, D-Montgomery; Mike Rogers, R-Saks; Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville; Artur Davis, D-Birmingham; and Parker Griffith, D-Huntsville.

An meanwhile, the reduction in bonuses is having an adverse affect on real estate in Manhattan.




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PresBo’s Failure on the Economy

You have to hand it to our dear PresBo, when he sets out to do something he doesn’t do it by halves. In this case, the topic is stimulus spending. PresBo says we need it, and now the drunken sailors have a credit card with no limit.

We know all about PresBo’s dedication to spending… he made it plain with his $787 billion “stimulus package” and his $400 billion porkfest bill. And we know about his utter fascination with taxing… any way to bring money to the federal government is a good way. What we didn’t know was that the scope of his intent is far larger than he claims.


Take his “cap-and-trade” regulations, which PresBo said would bring in $646 billion over eight years from industry. We now have reports that Senate staffers were told that number was closer to $2 trillion… more than three times the number he publicly admitted to. And by the way, I don’t care if PresBo claims these taxes will be paid by “industry,” every penny of those taxes will be passed through to the ultimate consumer… us. PresBo will take another $2 trillion from OUR pockets.

Or how about his universal healthcare? He has requested $634 billion for a “down-payment” on it, but the best estimates are closer to $1.5 trillion… more than twice as much. And we all know that government programs will inevitably cost more and deliver less, so take this figure with a rather large container of salt. Expect the ultimate cost to be far higher than that.

And all this because Presbo says we must have massive increases in government spending in order to stimulate the economy. But will such measures actually work? Probably not, no.

“If so, it will be the first time in modern recorded history.”

The article linked here cites several studies that examined the historical records from such events as the Great Depression and the 1990’s crash in Japan. And what they come up with is that government spending to stimulate the economy has just never worked.

But don't bother PresBo with the facts, he has a mandate...
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Alabama Sovereignty Resolution – Introduced!

On February 15th, I wrote and posted a sovereignty resolution and asked people to contact legislators to get it introduced. I just received word that on March 5th my resolution was introduced into the Alabama House of Representatives by Rep Greg Canfield (R-Jefferson).

The resolution, HJR298, is awaiting action by the House of Representatives committee on Rules.

Thank you, Rep Canfield.

You can compare the two resolutions: mine and HJR298.


I want to thank all of the people who contacted their representatives to ask them to introduce this resolution, but now I have another favor to ask. We need to contact members of the committee and ask them to review it and give it a favorable recommendation. You can find a list of committee members here, and from there you should be able to get contact information easily enough.

We also need legislators to co-sponsor the legislation. So contact your local legislators, and ask them to co-sponsor it.
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Prediction on the Economy

The news media is talking a lot about how the economy seems to be turning around, based largely upon a series of up days on the dow. Part of that is being fueled by the Feds dumping $1 trillion into the economy.

Keep in mind what is happening. The Fed has dropped their interest rates just about as far as they can go, and now they're printing new money in carload lots and dumping it into the economy by buying Treasury bonds and securities. We will pay for that later, as the effect of dumping large amounts of money into the economy in the present will be inflation in the future.


More to the point, these are tactics the Feds cannot continue indefinitely. They can't cut interest rates much more, and they can't continue to drop trillions of new dollars into the economy. In my opinion, this economic rally will turn out to be temporary, buoyed somewhat by these efforts by the Feds. I think it would be wonderful if the economy would turn around and start us on an upturn. Not only would it be good for everyone, but it would also give Republicans a good argument to repeal the stimulus bill... why stimulate when we're already in a recovery?

Unfortunately, I don't believe this is anything more than a temporary rally. These actions will stimulate the economy for a short while, but they don't address and correct the underlying problems that caused the economic drop in the first place.

I am not alone in this, as some economists think the Feds are deliberately manipulating the Dow in order to boost the economy.

Time will tell.
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AIG Bonuses

I’m sure that you’ve heard about the $165 million in bonuses paid by AIG… how can you help it, with all the vitriol coming out of the mouths of liberal politicians in DC? Essentially, AIG took bailout funds and paid bonuses, a combination that politicians just don’t like. The company claims that the bonuses were written into last year’s contracts and that they must pay them. Politicians say it doesn’t matter, because one way or the other the recipients won’t get to keep the money.

Some of the more egregious statements include:

"Recipients of these bonuses will not be able to keep all of their money."
Harry Reid

"The time has come to exercise our ownership rights. We own most of the company. And then say, as owner, 'No, I'm not paying you the bonus. You didn't perform. You didn't live up to this contract."
Barney Frank

"They're not going to get the financial benefit of those bonuses."
Max Baucus

"My colleagues and I are sending a letter to [AIG CEO Edward] Liddy informing him that he can go right ahead and tell the employees that are scheduled to get bonuses that they should voluntarily return them. Because if they don't, we plan to tax virtually all of it. He should tell his employees that if they don't give the money back, we'll put in place a new law that will allow us to tax these bonuses at a very high rate so it is returned to its rightful owners, the taxpayers. So for those of you who are getting these bonuses be forewarned, you will not be getting to keep them."
Charles Schumer

So, Congress plans to levy a punitive tax specifically to target bonuses paid by AIG last year? Have they even read the Constitution? They should look at Article 1, Sections 9 and 10. Essentially, the relevant portion of those sections state that no “ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts” may be passed. The tax being considered is both… it would apply to bonuses already paid and it would impair the ability of AIG to meet its contractual obligations.

Also, have you noticed that the liberal’s idea of taxation has now been revealed? It’s okay to levy a tax specifically to punish somebody. Period, end of quote.

Come on, guys, this is big, and you should be concerned.

Come out and join us on April 15th to protest excessive taxation and spending!
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Major Announcement!

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to announce that the National Tax Day Tea party movement has a new sponsor…

Newt Gingrich.

Here’s what Newt said about his sponsorship.



For more information about this event, please visit the website for the Tri-County Tea Party Coalition.

This is a very exciting development. I hope you will all join us on the day!


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Alabama National Guard Embarrassed

Okay, I know this isn’t strictly politics, but it is something that probably needs to be put out there.

Have you heard of Borat? He’s an actor (well, technically Borat is the character) who made his name conning people into doing things that they probably shouldn’t be doing. Makes good TV and movies, right? Well, this time, his target was the Alabama National Guard. Pretending to be a Russian journalist, he convinced the Alabama National Guard to give him a uniform and let him train.


He didn’t train long, granted, but the method of discovery isn’t one that should make the ANG proud… a cadet who had seen his movies recognized him and told a superior.

Whoops.

Look, isn’t there some sort of vetting process here? I mean, can just anybody show up with a camera man, claiming to be a reporter, and be allowed to train with the cadets? This doesn’t really help Alabama’s image, guys.

Imagine: The following man shows up and says, “I am… reporter. Reporter, yes. Please to drive tank?”



What does the Alabama National Guard say? Apparently, “Sure, here are the keys.”

I think they need a SERIOUS external review of security.

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Consequences of High Debt

I am not experienced with national finances, so I study up on it to see if the lessons learned about personal finance apply to nations. One such lesson was that high debt is a problem. The ongoing costs of servicing the debt eat into what you can and cannot do, and it harms your credit, making lenders less willing to lend you more money. So, do these lessons apply to nations?

Absolutely. Remember China, who holds trillions of dollars in US debt? The nation who PresBo expects to finance his massively increased deficit spending?

“We have lent a huge amount of money to the U.S. Of course we are concerned about the safety of our assets. To be honest, I am definitely a little worried.”
Chinese Premier Wen Jinbao

There you have it, China is expressing doubt about our ability to repay our massive debt, which could easily affect how willing they are to buy more of it. If they declined to purchase more debt, or even staged a sell-off of what debt they hold, it could massively increase the cost of deficit spending. Further, they now have leverage to demand concessions in trade and national security talks.

And what is PresBo’s response? He said that the Chinese and other foreign investors should have “absolute confidence” in the soundness of their investments in the U.S.

Gee, thanks. Glad you cleared that up.

Look, this is pretty simple. PresBo seems to think he can just tell people how they’re supposed to act or feel, and that makes everything come up roses. Whether its “You can have confidence we will repay our debt” or “Buy stocks now,” PresBo seems to confuse his royal decree with actual reality. News flash: The world doesn’t change just because you tell it to. NO President has EVER had that kind of power.

So I guess this is reason #128 why we should oppose PresBo’s massive spending agenda that would double the national debt in four years and triple it in 10 years. Doing so exposes our nation to pressure during negotiations, holding us hostage to even more adverse consequences on the financial front if we don’t cave in.

I have said it before and I will say it again. We need to drastically reduce Federal spending, cut taxes, and start paying down the debt. This will cause some short-term pain, but it may actually, if you’ll pardon the metaphor, remove the patient from ICU.

Reckless debt spending has consequences, and accelerating that spending will only make those consequences more severe.
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Is President Obama Incompetent?

If you haven't already, please take a moment to read the opinion piece titled "Presidential Incompetence". Once you have done that, please take the following poll.




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Presidential Incompetence

I have asked this before, but does PresBo really have any idea what he’s doing? He’s rocketing off in all directions, repeatedly nominating people who later withdraw because of one scandal or another, breaking his own promises left and right, and basically trying to use this economic crisis to advance his liberal agenda.

Now I question whether PresBo is even minimally competent to perform the job that he won. Sure, he campaigns well, but is he capable of DOING the job? Let’s look at some points.


I recently posted 10 campaign promises that PresBo has broken in the first two months of his Presidency. To that list, I’ll add #11: Not taxing employer-provided health insurance. Do you remember during the campaign, when McCain proposed taxing employer-paid health insurance? Obama blasted him, calling it “the largest middle-class tax increase in history.” Now, however, with his massively expensive health-care reform running into opposition from Republicans AND Democrats, PresBo says he is willing to raise taxes on employer-paid health insurance. Did he lie during the campaign, or is he just incompetent?

By the way, I’m not the only one worrying about PresBo’s competence. We expect such questions from pundits such as Dick Morris, but less conservative voices are expressing concerns about PresBo’s competency. Let me be clear, this is bi-partisan (non-partisan?) concern that comes, not only from everyday citizens, but also from powerful and influential politicians. Many people question what PresBo is doing.

His personnel problems are legion and well documented. He’s had numerous appointees withdrawn because of problems or scandals, including FOUR for top jobs under Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner. And speaking of Geithner, isn’t it ironic that our Secretary of Treasury somehow forgot to pay some taxes for eight years… a possibly criminal act that PresBo characterized as an “honest mistake?” White House appointee Vivek Kundra is suddenly on leave from the job (but not charged with a crime… yet) after an FBI raid uncovered evidence of political corruption. Presbo’s administration told White House urban policy director Adolfo Carrion to pay an architect for work done years ago, in order to quiet concerns that the work was a political favor. And what about Charles Freeman, who was appointed to a position as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council, only to be withdrawn very shortly thereafter? This one is bizarre… were PresBo and his administration incompetent and did they not KNOW that Freeman had expressed approval of the Chinese Tiananmen Square massacre, or did they know and simply not care? Either way, it is frightening.

And PresBo has this disturbing tendency to move AWAY FROM consistency. During the campaign, when McCain claimed that “the fundamentals of our economy are strong,” Obama attacked him on it and called him out of touch. One week ago, Peter Orszag said, “fundamentally, the economy is weak.” Just yesterday, however, when White House economic adviser Christina Romer was asked on “Meet the Press” if the fundamentals of the economy were sound, she replied “Of course they are sound.” You see, during the campaign he needed a weak economy to get elected, just as he needed a weak economy to push his massive programs to “stimulate” the economy. Now that his budget is out and predicting growth this year, however, he needs a strong economy to back up his estimates… so the rhetoric changes. Unfortunately, this isn’t important news. PresBo’s promises and his actual deeds have contradicted each other so often that it’s not even considered important when somebody shows evidence of a new hypocrisy.

As to his economic policies, a new analysis shows that they will suck the economic life out of Silicon Valley. PresBo seems to be taking this opportunity, as the American public clamors for him to “do something,” to do everything that makes a liberal’s heart beat faster with anticipation. Never forget that PresBo’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said “Never allow a crisis to go to waste, they are opportunities to do big things.” Clinton echoed that line, saying “Never waste a good crisis,” and even PresBo said in a Saturday radio and internet address that there is “great opportunity in the midst of” the “great crisis” befalling America.

Of course, none of this is terribly surprising coming from a man who sees approximately half the wealth in the world disappear because of an economic recession and says it “isn’t as bad as we think it is.”

And it all begs the question... if Obama had run promising to take the actions that he has already taken, do you think he would have won? I do not.

But you be the judge. Is PresBo incompetent, or just criminally opportunistic?
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Montgomery Tea Party - 30 Days

We are one month out from the Tea Party… just 30 days remain. In that time, we must organize an effective and entertaining event and spread the word far enough to generate good attendance. You can help with both of these, if you are willing. Go to our website for details and contact information.

There are two new items of note.

First, we have added a “Quotes” page to the website. It contains quotes from historical figures that have a bearing on our current situation. It’s good for inspirational reading, and some of them do a good job of expressing our position on Obama’s method of “economic stimulus.”

Second, we were mentioned in a WorldNetDaily article about the nationwide tea parties. I have already received emails asking for details on our Montgomery event.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91398

Tri-County Tea Party Coalition
http://www.tricntyteapartycoalition.homestead.com/



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The Vultures Waste No Time

As many of you know, Alabama was the scene of a horrific multiple murder spree. I didn’t cover it, because it isn’t politics. Oh, sure, I could have talked about how gun control might or might not have affected the situation, but I’m a pretty reasonable guy. I just don’t think it’s appropriate to inject politics into people’s grief, and certainly not merely to try and win a political victory at any cost. Time enough to fight the political battle later, after we’ve had time to accept what happened.


Well, apparently not everybody feels that way. Predictably, gun control organizations had press releases out to Alabama newspapers within 24-hours of the murders. It seems as if they’re more than willing to use a horrible event like these multiple murders to further their own agenda. After all, why wait? I mean, it’s not like anybody would mind, right? Naw. Their reasoning seems to go something like this: “Ohhhh, that’s great! A lot of people died, now let’s try to use this to convince people to reinstate the assault weapons ban. This could be our big break!”

The thought of using people’s death as an opportunity to make a political point makes me sick.

Look, they can argue their points until they are blue in the face. The fact of the matter is that most of the weapons used by McClendon would not have been illegal under the assault weapons ban. So urging it’s reinstatement helps… how?

I’m not going to get into pro and con arguments about gun control… it is inappropriate at this time. All I’m going to say is that gun control organizations are far too willing to cash in on other people’s tragedies, and this says something about their character. And what it says about their character isn’t good.
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Where DOES That Pesky Buck Stop?

Remember “The Buck Stops Here?” That was the slogan of … well, I’ll leave that as an exercise for the student. (Hint: Begins with T.) Regardless of who said it, it’s a pretty good philosophy for a chief executive to live by.

But not for PresBo. His slogan is… “It isn’t my fault, because I inherited the Buck from W.” My, how inspiring. So much for PresBo’s promise to rise above the divisive partisanship in Washington.


And in breaking news, in response to a question by a reporter, Tax cheat and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said, “The what? The buck? Didn’t we throw that damn thing away?” When reminded of the famous slogan of a former President (another hint!) Geithner extemporized quickly. “Oh, yeah, the BUCK! Oh, I think we have a place for it in the George W. Bush Presidential museum.” As he left the microphone, witnesses heard him mutter something about “obsolete concept” and “can’t we get rid of that reporter?”

Look, people, PresBo is the slipperiest guy we’ve had in office…EVER. He will make any excuse to get away with doing anything he wants. He’s broken promise after promise, but the Obamaphiles don’t seem to care. For Democrats, honesty is a make-or-break issue… in Republican politicians. If it’s Obama or a Democrat? Oh, well, the excuses flow freely. We hear things like “It was an honest mistake” to describe 8-years of failure to pay taxes, or “That was old business” to excuse PresBo ignoring thousands of earmarks in a bill written after he took office. There will always be a reason for the Obamaphiles to excuse dishonesty, lies, and failure in PresBo’s administration.

And if you think that’s a GOOD thing, then I weep for our nation.
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Broken Promises – Two Months In

As candidates campaign, they make promises. “If elected, I will…” fill in the blank. Obama was very good at that, and he made many promises. It is interesting to look at how well he has done at KEEPING those promises after two months in office.

As it turns out, PresBo has fully or partially broken at least 10 of his campaign promises.


Broken Promise #1: Sunlight Before Signing.
Broken Promise #2: Capital gains tax elimination.
Broken Promise #3: New American jobs tax credit.
Broken Promise #4: Hiatus on 401(k) penalties
Broken Promise #5: No jobs for lobbyists
Broken Promise #6: Earmark reform
Broken Promise #7: Bring troops home in 16 months
Broken Promise #8: Sign “Freedom of Choice Act”
Broken Promise #9: $4,000 college credit
Broken Promise #10: Transparency

Now some of them, such as the promise to sign the “Freedom of Choice Act”, I’m not terribly broken up about him breaking. With his “bring troops home in 16 months” promise, he says he still intends to bring the Iraq troops home, just later than his promise. But for promises about sunlight, earmark reform, transparency, and no jobs for lobbyists, it seems he has given AT MOST lip service to keeping those promises. When Obama announced "Now, I'm proud that we passed a recovery plan free of earmarks," Congress laughed… because it obviously WASN’T free of earmarks. Just announcing you did something isn’t the same as actually doing it, as Congress acknowledged with their response.

As to the “no jobs for lobbyists” promise, I can provide a LONG list of exceptions (more than 20), people who PresBo issued a waiver for so he could employ them anyway, but how many people can you name who PresBo rejected for service because they would have made him violate his promise? Can you name even one? It seems this promise was made to be broken because, as far as I know, he hasn’t kept it even once.

I have frequently said that you should NEVER listen to the promises made by campaigning politicians unless they match well with his past record. It was for that reason that I rejected McCain as a candidate, because it was obvious to me that his campaign rhetoric would be ignored immediately if he won. So PresBo’s breaking promises isn’t anything terribly unusual, but his breaking so many promises so quickly and in such a big way makes the magnitude of it highly unusual.

It should be clear now, even to his supporters, that PresBo’s administration will bear little or no resemblance to what his campaign indicated it would. From what I’ve seen, PresBo intends to use this financial crisis to enact a wide-sweeping liberal agenda, and that’s about all he cares about. His campaign promises would hinder this process, so they’re unimportant, and abandoned. Is it ethical to take steps to lengthen a crisis instead of resolve it so that he could take advantage of the crisis for his own ends? I don’t think so.

Look for more broken promises in the future.
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I Thought Congress Was Busy

This is the strangest thing I think I’ve ever seen. With all the problems in this country, with our economy down and our President intent on making things worse by raising taxes and spending, you’d think our Congressmen would be unable to focus on trivia. Well, you’d be wrong.

I really can’t make this stuff up, guys. On Thursday, March 12, 2009, the United States House of Representatives took a moment to congratulate PI. I hear PI was pleased.

Come ON, guys. You MUST have better things to do than declare March 14 as “PI Day”! If this weren’t so sad, it would be laughable.


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Alabama PACT Program: Bernie Maddoff on Speed?

I have been reading about what’s going on with the PACT program, and to be perfectly honest, it sounds like a ponzi scheme. Did Bernie Madoff move to Alabama… and has plastic surgery made him look like Kay Ivey?

At issue is the Prepaid Alabama College Tuition program (PACT). The program encourages people to invest money into a fund that, once prepaid, will allow their child to attend any public college in Alabama. A while back, State Treasurer Kay Ivey sent out letters telling program participants that the program was in trouble because of huge losses (more than 48% of value) in the stock market. It also warned that the fund did not have enough money in it to pay for those currently enrolled.


Isn’t that what Madoff did? Use the money of new investors to cover current expenses while the money from previous investors disappeared? When will Attorney General Troy King file charges against the government bureaucrats and elected officials involved? Oh wait, never mind, King is being investigated by the Feds… my bad.

State Treasurer Kay Ivey, whose department oversees the PACT program, held a public hearing in Montgomery yesterday to allow program participants to be heard. The problem is, that’s about all that happened. Officials distributed no additional information to attendees, and indeed half of the PACT board didn’t even bother to show up. Nobody, from Kay Ivey on down, made any official statements. Instead, they sat and listened politely, nodding occasionally in acknowledgement, as people broke down in tears. Many people spoke, some ranting angrily and others crying as they described how hard this will hit them.

"My grandson will go to college and y'all will pay for it. Y'all are going to have to pay for this, you understand?"

"I teach my daughter to be responsible and accountable. Do what you say you're going to do and make it work. That's it."

The common theme seemed to be that the program had promised that if they prepaid tuition, that money would be there when the child was ready for college. Indeed, until 1995 the official literature offered that as a guarantee… though the contract that participants actually signed did not say that. Even more recent literature IMPLIES the money is guaranteed without actually saying it. After all, who would want to invest in a Madoff fund NOW?

But many participants were shocked to realize that, since the money they prepaid was invested in the stock market, approximately half of their money is simply gone. How many Alabama families in this economic climate can take losses in the tens of thousands of dollars? Because the plan has 49,000 participants, every one of whom lost a great deal of money.

Keep in mind that this fund isn’t like a mutual fund. When the stock market started tanking heavily, I went to my 401k and transferred my money into safer and more stable investments. I haven’t lost as much money since I did that, so it was a good move. But that’s a 401K, and PACT participants have NO CONTROL over how their money is invested. The state did all that… and they did it badly.

This is very simple. If the state makes the PACT participants eat their losses, we will see the biggest revolution against State Government in this state’s history. They HAVE to do something, and they have to do it NOW. They have a meeting scheduled for March 24, with actual action even further away, and that isn’t nearly fast enough. Another month of losses? The backlash against elected officials promises to be severe… and 2010 is the year when most, if not all of them come up for re-election. Political careers will be lost over this… which is nothing compared to people’s investment in their children’s future.
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Montgomery County Commission Seat Open

Now that Todd Strange is the Mayor-Elect, there is a vacant spot in the Montgomery County Commission. With this vacancy, Governor Riley will appoint Strange's successor to fulfill his term. And just who might we end up with?

Apparently, the list of people who want the job is long. But if you read the list, it's like a Who's Who of local career politicians.


Twinkle Cavenaugh, Randy James, and Lee Sellers lead the list of high-profile, politically oriented individuals vying for the job. Riley says he will be "accepting resumes and applications in the coming weeks."

Do you know what would be magnificent? If Riley was inundated with a flood of applications from serious people who don't view this as just another step in an already too-politicized career. You know, ordinary people! I would like to see a computer programmer, a pharmacist, and a chauffeur apply. Or maybe a physical therapist, a small business owner, and a nurse. Why not a martial arts instructor, a mechanic, and a college professor? Why must a political post be filled by a career politician?

Come on, people, if you've ever thought you might be able to do some good in public office, now's your chance... and you don't even have to run for office. Send an application to Governor Riley, and let's see if he has the nerve to select somebody outside of the "Good-Ole-Boy" network of career politicians.

And before I draw criticism, yes I know that Twinkle hasn't made a career of being an elected official. But she is a former Chairman of the Alabama GOP, she was a spokesperson for President of the PSC Sullivan... she's obviously made a politically oriented career, even if she hasn't succeeded in being elected yet. Sellers has political connections a mile long, and James, of course, has run for office in the past.

Come on, Governor Riley, have the guts to pick a capable person for the Montgomery County Commission. Someone who ISN'T a career politician.

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Montgomery Tax Day Tea Party Website

The planning is well underway for the April 15th Tea Party in Montgomery, at High Noon in front of the Alabama State House. It looks like we are going to have a lot of fun on the day. If you want details, we have a brand new website that contains not only information on the event but also forums where you can ask questions about or discuss the April 15th event.

Swing by and check it out. Parts of it are still under construction, so bear with us another day or two. However, most of the site is up and running, and the rest should be in place by the weekend.





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What do you think?

Do you think it's "Amateur Hour" over at the Obama White House? (Read article)




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Did Obama Fail Math?

Remember Obama’s projections showing what he wanted the budget to look like over the next four years? It turns out that Obama’s projections are questionable… at best. He claims to want to “slash the budget deficits,” but the figures don’t add up. In 2007 the budget deficit was $162 billion, while the 2009 deficit will be $1.752 trillion… 11 TIMES LARGER. And at no time during his presidency would the budget deficit drop below $533 billion.


And THAT assumes that his economic forecasts are correct… which they aren’t. He projects economic growth that has NEVER occurred in conditions similar to this, with massive spending and tax increases. Oh, and his projections ALSO assume that PresBo will cut military expenditures in Afghanistan and Iraq… meaning that Congress and PresBo will be squealing loudly as they plunder the American taxpayers' wallets. They won’t be spending like drunken sailors, they’ll be spending… do you remember a Richard Pryor movie called “Brewster’s Millions?” He would inherit $300 million only if he could completely waste $30 million in 30 days. Congress and PresBo will be spending like that… only with no ultimate inheritance to save them (and us!) from their folly.

“One thing to remember about all of these numbers is that they are based on a very "rosy" economic scenario. If the economy falls short of the optimistic assumptions, the deficit will be substantially larger than projected.”

So his estimates are rosy. But just how rosy are they?

“The budget forecasters assumed that the economy would grow at a 3% annual rate starting in April and that real GDP would fall just 1.2% in 2009 from 2008. Then, from 2010 through 2013, the administration assumes that real GDP will row at a 4% annual rate. To put this in perspective, that is twice as fast as the economy's 2% annual rate of growth between 2004 and 2008. This is not impossible, but the only other periods that came close to this 4% growth rate for such a prolonged period of time were in the late-1990s and mid-1980s. Forgive us for pointing this out, but both of these periods followed major shifts toward freer markets and tax cuts, not bigger government and tax hikes.”

His budgets and savings are a fantasy, folks. After four years we will end up still in a recession, if not a depression, with higher taxes, soaring deficits, and a national debt that could conceivably drive the country into bankruptcy. Government will have invaded as many parts of our private lives as Democrats can manage in four years, resulting in less freedom and more interference, oversight, and regulation by an increasingly dictatorial Federal government.

Thanks a lot, PresBo.

Oh, and the GOP deserves some blame in this, too. This is partly your fault, after all, because if you had lived up to your conservative claims over the past eight years and given us a real conservative candidate to vote for, we might not have to go through this period of Obamamania.

Thanks heaps, guys. Read the rest...

Card Check Kills Wal-Mart?

Senator Harry Reid is quite proud of the fact that he may have the 60 votes he needs to pass the Card Check bill. For those of you who don’t know, the bill would allow a union to form by getting a majority of workers to fill out a card. Currently they use that process to authorize a secret ballot that actually decides whether or not the workplace unionizes. That secret ballot goes away, which means it’s easier to unionize a workplace.

Then Reid said something amazing:

The problem, Reid said, lay at the feet of Senate Republicans who say “no to everything. I just believe saying no to everything is no way to move this country forward.”

Forgive me, but if a proposal is bad, then saying no is not only a good thing, I would expect principled people to vote that way. In relation to rumors that Democratic solidarity was showing cracks (as I have previously reported), Reid ALSO said:

“I think we’ve done pretty well on sticking together on virtually everything.”

See the message? Democrats are saints, so sticking together and voting yes is good. Republicans are devils, so sticking together and voting no is bad. Hypocrite.

Oh, and meanwhile Wal Mart stock has been downgraded from “buy” to “hold.” Why? Because if the Card Check bill passes, it will “increase labor costs and could be a significant drag to earnings for the world's largest retailer.” And voting “no” on this is a BAD thing???

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Breaking News: Montgomery Tax Watch!

You know how they issue a tornado warning during bad weather when conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form? Well, I am now issuing a Tax Warning for Montgomery County, set to expire on May 2, 2009. As of this moment, conditions are favorable for the passage of a new tax for “education” in Montgomery County. Should such a tax actually be proposed, we will upgrade this to a Tax Warning. In such an eventuality, we do not recommend moving to a safe place (i.e., out of the county)… instead, we recommend contacting your politicians and reminding them that raising taxes during an economic recession is legally considered torture to struggling taxpayers… or at least it should be. Sort of like eating chocolate cake in front of a dieter or continually offering an AA member “just one drink.” What harm could it do… right?

Should you hear warning sirens… well, tune to the radio, because you’re probably under a tornado watch. (grin)


Why am I telling you this? The Montgomery County Board of Education had voted in February to close three schools: Pintlala, Hayneville Road and Patterson elementary schools. Why? Mainly to save the County money in the face of falling tax revenue and a probable proration in the near future.

Many parents complained and lobbied to keep the schools open. Yesterday, the Montgomery County Board of Education rescinded their order to close Hayneville and Pintlala, and gave lawmakers until May 1 to come up with an additional $1.4 million to keep the schools open. Keep in mind, that’s $1.4 million of RECURRING FUNDS, i.e. new tax revenue.

Both the County and the City of Montgomery are talking about falling tax revenue and budget cuts, so just where is this money going to come from? The possibility of a new tax proposed to “save our schools” isn’t terribly strong at the moment, but conditions are certainly favorable for its proposal. No tax increase proposal has yet been sighted, but we should all be on the alert should one form unexpectedly.

I think that’s just about as far as I want to take this “weather alert” metaphor, but by now you should get the point. Keep an eye on this situation, and let me know should a new tax (or fee, or whatever) be proposed. I will be doing the same thing, I assure you. And I hate to say it, but keep an eye not only on the County, but also on the City. Mayor-Elect Todd Strange campaigned partially on “education,” though how it’s legal for a city to funnel city tax-dollars into a county program is beyond me. But it is possible that he will attempt to help keep the schools open… and since in his election-night interview he said he was looking to cut $20 million from the City budget, I don’t see how he can get the money through budget cuts.

More details as they develop…

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New Montgomery Mayor

Well, it looks like Montgomery has a new Mayor, and we don’t even need a runoff election to determine it. With 98 out of 99 boxes reporting, Todd Strange has 52.88% of the vote.

As you know, Strange was not my choice for Mayor. I think he has plans for this city that the rest of us will not like. However, the election process isn’t designed to pick the best man every time, merely to pick the man who has the best ELECTIONEERING skills. In other words, it rewards candidates who have skills to be good CANDIDATES, not necessarily good in the office they ran for. In this case, the most skilled candidate won.

It is my sincere hope that Todd Strange will make a good Mayor of Montgomery, and will not seek to increase taxes or the size and scope of city government. Time will tell this tale.

Strange Wins Without Runoff
Michael Briddell Concedes
Video Interview with Todd Strange




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Presidential Amateur Hour?

There’s a lot going on with our wonderful PresBo, and the behavior of him and his administration should bother you. Just recently I wrote about his partying while our economy burns… somebody hand that President a fiddle! More news is coming out that should be disturbing to you.

Remember when White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel said that it’s not “Amateur Hour” over at the White House? You be the judge.


When Bush failed to oversee his portion of the bank bailout money, Obama criticized him and promised he would do better. Now we find out that PresBo’s release of bailout funds had (surprise, surprise!) no oversight.

PresBo promises to cut taxes for “95% of working families.” We’ll be gentle with that claim for now, looking at only this aspect of it. Regardless what he plans to do with the income tax system, his “Cap and Trade” system would result in higher taxes on energy consumption for 100% of all Americans.

He is showing little competence when dealing with foreign countries. When the Prime Minister of the United Kingdon Gordon Brown visited PresBo on an official state visit, there was no high-profile greeting ceremony. Further, when Brown gifted Presbo with a pen holder carved from the timbers of an old British anti-slavery ship and a first edition of a seven-volume biography of Winston Churchill, PresBo gifted Brown with a boxed DVD set of 25 classic movies. He probably didn’t make the greatest impression, there. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei lavrov a red "reset button" to symbolise improved ties, except the Russian words were misspelled and he instead received an “Overcharge Button.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Brussels to speak to European leaders. During the speech, she said:

"I have never understood multiparty democracy ... It is hard enough with two parties to come to any resolution, and I say this very respectfully, because I feel the same way about our own democracy, which has been around a lot longer than European democracy."

The ignorance and arrogance in that statement are stunning in their magnitude. The last time I checked, Greece was part of Europe and is also home of one of the earliest forms of Democracy. And I believe Athenian Democracy predated our own country by approximately 2,300 years. During the same visit, she mispronounced names and attributed officials with incorrect titles.

Despite the protestations coming out of the White House, it certainly does look like Amateur Hour to me. They don’t really seem to know what they’re doing over there. What do you think?




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Election Today!

Remember that the mayoral election is today. If you've educated yourself on your choices, then please be sure to go vote today. If you haven't, please find other things to do.

I will be proudly voting for Jay King.

UPDATE: By the way, in case you missed it, Jay King won the "Who Are you voting For" opinion poll on this blog with 45% of the vote. Simmons came in second place with 32% of the vote. If accurate, that would mean the two men head to the runoff election. Now let's see if the rest of the voters agree.



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Montgomery Tax Day Tea Party – Update

Less than a week ago, I posted that I would be sponsoring a Montgomery Tax Day Tea Party on April 15th. We now have a few details. I posted this entry late because I was on a conference call for the nationwide Tea Party organization and have some more details for you. The word is getting around, and attracting attention from many different people.


The Montgomery Tax Day Tea Party will be held on April 15th from noon until 1:00 PM, in front of the Alabama State House on Union Street. We will be having some very knowledgeable and interesting speakers. Want to hear somebody speaking your thoughts on the fiscal madness in DC? We’ll have it. Want to hear somebody offering practical and effective solutions? We’ll have that, too. Want opportunities to show your support for the premise that we can’t tax and spend our way to prosperity? You’ll have it. We must make our voices heard, and being part of a network of nationwide Tea Parties is a step in the right direction. Remember the slogan, repeat the slogan: "Repeal the pork; cut taxes!"

Expect press releases to go out next week, with announcements of speakers to follow shortly.

You can tune in to this blog for further updates, and also visit our Montgomery Tea Party Facebook page. Spread the word!!!

More details will follow later.
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Let Them Eat Cake

I finally figured out the salutation that should have been given once Obama took office. “The King is dead… Long live the King!”

Why do I say this? Because our own beloved PresBo is behaving as if he has indeed become King, instead of President. We all know about his “I Won” attitude. Now we find that while the rest of America is suffering from the uncertainty of a deep recession, PresBo is throwing more White House parties than we’ve seen since Kennedy.


Parties are often used at that level as a tool to smooth political maneuvering. However, that is not what is going on with these parties.

"You would have felt like a fool talking about politics at this party," said Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., said after one major event. "I was surprised how much of a social event it was and how little of a political occasion it was."

The Democrats love to tell us how compassionate they are… but is this really compassionate? Partying nightly using taxpayer money, while the rest of us endure a recession that he is using as an opportunity to accomplish his liberal agenda?

All Hail King Obama the First!
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Mayoral Election Tomorrow

We have an election tomorrow, during which we will select the man who will be our next mayor. We hear and talk so much about our right to vote that we sometimes forget the truth: electing someone for any office is actually a responsibility that weighs heavily on us all. It is a duty we all have, true, but our duty transcends simply showing up and pulling a lever.

We often hear laments about a low turnout rate in an election, amidst urgings for people to “just get out and vote!” I disagree. We do not need more voters. We need more INFORMED voters.


Our responsibility begins long before Election Day. It is our responsibility to learn about the candidates, find out what they think and what they plan, and discover their past political history, if any. It is our responsibility to follow the campaigns to know what they think important, as well as to spot inconsistencies and lies by the candidates. It is our responsibility to decide if what they plan will work and is reasonable, and to decide if each candidate has the raw ability and integrity to hold office.

Then, and only then, comes Election Day.

I know that, in this day and age, it is not popular to say that though we all have the RIGHT to vote, not everybody SHOULD vote… but I say it now. If you have not bothered to follow the campaign, learn about the candidates, their history, and their plans; if you have not bothered, in other words, to develop an informed opinion, then please stay home tomorrow. We’ll manage much better without having to fend off those who mindlessly pull a lever for a party instead of a specific candidate. This country will function much more smoothly without the participation of those who cast a vote for the most familiar-sounding name. So just stay home tomorrow, because you’ve already rejected your duty to vote and abdicated your responsibility.

The rest of you, those who have bothered to educate yourself about the candidates, go tomorrow and perform the final part of your duty: actually cast a vote.
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Senator Shelby Loves Pork

For those of you following the whole shebang in DC, you know that our own Senator Shelby has been leading the fight against the bailouts and stimulus bills. So it probably came as quite a shock to learn that Shelby not only has earmarks in the $400 billion porkfest of a bill, he ranks 9th among Senators. He has a LOT of earmarks in the bill.

Shelby defends the process, basically saying that the money will do a lot of good, etc, etc. But during an economic downturn when Congress should be REDUCING spending, during a time when the Republicans are SUPPOSED to be fighting PresBo’s dramatic increases in spending, should we really be spending money on a catfish farm? Or how about $96,000 for an after-school program in Montgomery? How can they justify taking money from people living in Michigan and spending it on a local program in Montgomery?


These kinds of pork projects are chosen for political considerations, namely the politician being seen as able to “bring home the bacon,” instead of for actual need or efficacy. Also, I see no authorization in the Constitution for spending $96,000 of federal taxpayer money on a school program in Montgomery. Bad, bad, bad…

I am very disappointed in Shelby, but I’m waiting to see one thing. Will Shelby vote in favor of a bad bill just because he has lots of earmarks in it heading for his home state? Or will he stick to his principles and vote against it?

Filmateleven.
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Reminder: Election On Tuesday

Don’t forget that we have an election coming up on Tuesday. If you haven’t learned anything about the candidates, I suggest you get busy. We don’t just need voters, we need INFORMED voters. An uninformed vote, based solely upon somebody’s recommendation or a familiar name, is worse than no vote at all.

The Advertiser ran a new article today, saying that whoever becomes our next Mayor will have to deal with a budget shortfall, possibly as large as $10 million. Well, yes, we knew that. I hope whoever wins realizes that tax increases would be harmful to this area.

Here are the candidates’ websites, my analysis of the candidates, and the election section of the Montgomery Advertiser. Lots of goodies at the Advertiser… very informative.

Read well.

And I don't know about you, but I will be voting for Jay King. Good luck, Mr. King.



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Siegelman Remains in Prison

Former Governor Don Siegelman (D) was convicted on bribery and corruption charges in 2006, and sentenced to seven years in prison. He has appealed his conviction, saying that the prosecution was politically motivated by Republican enemies… a charge that the prosecutors have vehemently denied.

Siegelman’s appeal was heard by a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. They struck down two of his convictions but upheld the remaining five. His sentence may be reduced, but he remains in prison. He will ask that the entire 11th Circuit Court hear his appeal.


My opinion is pretty simple. We all know that a lot of corruption goes on in state politics. Significant campaign contributions in exchange for this board position or contract award… and that’s basically what Siegelman was convicted of. When politicians do that, they use their position for personal advantage and, incidentally, work at cross-purposes to us ordinary citizens. Politicians who do this SHOULD serve time in prison, and should never, EVER be permitted to run for public office again.

From all the evidence I’ve seen, Don, you did it. So stop all these appeals, serve your sentence, and then try to rebuild your life as something other than a politician or state employee. Get a real job, and try to learn from your mistakes.
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Alabama PACT in Trouble

For those of you familiar with the Prepaid Alabama College Tuition (PACT) Program, have you heard that it’s in trouble? The whole idea is for parents to invest money in a PACT account when their child is young, and then they can send the child to an Alabama college at today’s prices. For example, if you had a newborn in 2007 (projected to start college in 2026-2027) and enrolled in the 4-year program, you would have to make 60 payments (5-years) of $440. Once the payments are completed, the funds sit (actually invested in the stock market) ready for your child to use for college. Prices for older children are a bit higher, $455 for a 1st grader expected to attend college in 2019-2020.

That sounds rosy, but have you noticed the poison pill in the program? The money was invested in the stock market… and the fund has now lost a LOT of money. How bad is it? Well, nobody is really sure, because the State is holding its cards close the vest, but the best estimate is that the fund has lost 45% of its value. As this chart shows (page 2), the rate of return on the PACT funds has dropped from 15% at the start of 2007 to -20% at the start of 2008, with a projected rate of -25% at the start of 2009.


The Alabama Treasury Department has issued a warning to PACT members that the rate of loss has reduced available funds to the point where the PACT program is in trouble. You can get enrollment information here, and visit the fund’s website here.

The board has scheduled a meeting on March 24th to try and “work something out,” but parents are understandably nervous. Many have either withdrawn their money or are asking about how to do it. Now State Treasurer Kay Ivey is urging people not to withdraw their PACT money until she has a chance to try and address the issue.

I understand that those who withdraw their money prematurely will face tax consequences, but Ivey’s meeting is two-and-a-half weeks away, with any “solution” likely further off than that. How much MORE will their fund lose in that time? Many parents HAVE to be concerned about that… I don’t know many families that can simply ignore losses in the tens of thousand of dollars. Of course, if the college date is more than a few years away, leaving the money in the fund may give it time to recover some or all of its value.

It’s a tough situation, and there will be no easy answers.
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