This'n'That; January 19th[PrincessCaroline;obama/Lincoln;Roses]

I Think "The Fix Is In"...... Guvner Dave said that he'll reveal his selection for NY's co-senior senate seat "two or three days" after the inauguration. obama has mentioned more than once that he likes "Princess Caroline." She campaigned for him; she has the name recognition that he desires to bask in. A political favor for a "job well-done!!!" This will put Guvner Dave right where he wants to be.... in line for "favors!!" He'll be able to demand to be the first state considered [and for the most graft!!] when the several states line up for handouts, how can obama refuse, when Guvner Dave "sold the seat" to obama by appointing the royal that obama wanted?! The only question that remains now is: Will she be made NY's "Senior Senator" by presidential edict, or [and this'll be a first] will she have to earn it?? Maybe I'm Missing Something, But...... Why is obama aligning himself so closely with President Abraham Lincoln? Other than his slight association with the city of Springfield, Illinois-the seat of state government-there's not much else in common. To illustrate the disparaty in the alignment I point out President Lincoln's first Inuguration Address. Mr Lincoln, while deploring slavery, had no qualms about failing to lead the way to abolition. His address contains 34 paragraphs..... the most telling of which are the second, third and fifth, which are quoted below: [2] I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so. [3]............Resolved, That the maintenance inviolate of the rights of the States, and especially the right of each State to order and control its own domestic institutions according to its own judgment exclusively, is essential to that balance of power on which the perfection and endurance of our political fabric depend; and we denounce angels of our nature. [5] There is much controversy about the delivering up of fugitives from service or labor. The clause I now read is as plainly written in the Constitution as any other of its provisions: No person held to service or labor in one State, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall in consequence of any law or regulation therein be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due. If I had lived "back in the day," the slavery issue would have been priority one for me. One would think that obama would balk at Mr Lincoln's complacency...... but none that I 've ever heard of. obama is doing but the last leg of Mr Lincoln's train trip, that from Philadelphia, Pa. through Wilmington, De. and Baltimore, Md. to Washington, D.C., totaling 141 miles. Mr Lincoln's trip took several days and a total mileage of about 1,291 miles. Where's the comparison there?? It certainly can not be their political inclinations!! President Lincoln was first and foremost, a conservative while obama's liberalism borders on socialism!! obama, politically, is far closely aligned with President Franklin Roosevelt.... both had/have the desire to spend the country back to prosperity...... AN IMPOSSIBILITY!! Stuff Ya Might Not Know About Valentine's Day.... A] On Valentine's Day, 2008: 214 million roses were sold in the U.S.; 59% were red. B] Near Valentine's Day, prices spike about 42%!! C] It wasn't until 1537 that St. Valentine's Day was declared an official holiday. England's King Henry VIII declared February 14th a holiday. D] In the United States, 64 percent of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their sweethearts. E] Hallmark has over 1330 different cards specifically for Valentine's Day. F]Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, an "Improvement in Telegraphy", on Valentine's Day, 1876. G] About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets. H] 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women; 15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day. MORE ABOUT ROSES: A] An English breeder spent about $5.5 million and 14 years to cultivate the apricot-colored JULIET, the most expensive rose ever privately developed. B] After nearly 18 years of research, the Japanese firm Suntory created blue roses, inserting a pansy gene into the mauve Cardinal de Richelieu Rose. C] The potential market for blue roses is an estimated $303+Million. D] In 1898, a single rose sold for $3.75 in New York City. When adjusted for inflation, that equals $93, in today's dollars!! E] The average price of a dozen long-stemmed red roses last year was $80. F] A new rose name hay have a maximum of 10 syllables and 30 letters, a rult set by the International Cultivar Registration Authority. G] The average price to have a nursery name a rose after you? $15,000. H] There are more than 15,000 different rose species and cultivated varieties, worldwide. I] The rose is the state flower of four states: Iowa, North Dakota, New York and Georgia. J] About a billion cut roses are imported from Columbia last year. Til Nex'Time............

This'n'That; January 17th[Taxes;SpendingReform]

New Taxes;Tax Increases;Tax Cuts-What Works? There's alot to consider when addressing this issue. What will be the net affect of ANY tax action? Where will any deficit be made up? Where will any additional income be used or better yet, where will it come from? Much is to be said for tax cuts. President Ronald Reagan's administration favored reducing government programs and introduced the largest tax cuts in American history. The economic policies enacted in 1981 were an example of supply-side economics. Reagan aimed to encourage entrepreneurship and limit the growth of social spending, as well as to reduce regulation and inflation. Economic growth saw a strong recovery in the 1980s, helping Reagan to win a landslide reelection. By contrast, "Slick-Willie" was the first, [hopefully] last, and [hopefully]only administration to enact a "retro-active" tax increase. His signing of the Budget Reconciliation Bill on August 10, 1993 raised taxes on individuals and businesses retroactively back to January First. "Slick-Willie" would have us believe that his "economic policies'' are responsible for the prosperity of the eight years of his administration. What economic policies? Other than keeping Alan Greenspan at the Federal Reserve, Slick's biggest economic decision was his 1993 retroactive tax increase, eagerly approved by a Democratic-controlled Congress. Does he mean to suggest that a huge tax increase was responsible for the prosperity? Slick ignores the fact that the expansion began when Ronald Reagan cut marginal tax rates from Jimmy Carter's near garnishment level to a top bracket of one-third of a taxpayer's income. And he continues the deception that Reagan was responsible for the deficits, when it was a Democratic-controlled Congress that couldn't stop spending the new resources. When government allowed people to keep more of their money, many invested it, producing profits for themselves and new tax revenue for the government. In May 1991, "Slick-Willie" said "opportunity for all is not enough... For if we give opportunity without insisting on responsibility, much of the money can be wasted and the country's strength can still be sapped. So we favor responsibility for all. That's the idea behind national service. It's the idea behind welfare reform." In June of 1996, "Slick-Willie" said "First and foremost, community programs must stress abstinence and personal responsibility. A program cannot be successful unless it gives our children the moral leadership they need to say no to the wrong choices and yes to the right ones." In the Summer of 1996, "Slick-Willie" said "A long time ago... I concluded that the current welfare system undermines the basic values of work, responsibility and family, trapping generation after generation in dependency and hurting the very people it was designed to help." obama needs at least a trillion dollars to clean up the wreckage of the economic downturn. He needs to get that money without raising taxes. No problem. CUT TAXES and REDUCE SOCIAL SPENDING!!! ***For Tax Help, check out http://ataxingmatter.blogs.com **** There's lottsa great reference and instructional stuff**** Til Nex'Time...........

This'n'That; January 16th[Border;Tax Evasion]

The Reason For Border Fencing As the report below indicates, Mexico's inability to contain crime along the U.S./Mexican border reinforces America's need for more intensive border security! Where's the fencing that's supposed to be completed by now? .....bogged down in that political quagmire known as Congress. Fence completed on December 19, 2008: 286 miles of pedestrian fence; 267 miles of vehicle fence; Proposed fence to be completed by December 31, 2008: 370 miles of pedestrian fence; 300 miles of vehicle fence. [The report:] Mexico is in danger of a “rapid and sudden collapse” due to criminal gangs and drug cartels, according to a troubling new report by the U.S. Joint Forces Command on worldwide security threats. The report also cites Pakistan as a nation facing possible collapse. “In terms of worst-case scenarios for the Joint Forces and indeed the world, two large and important states bear consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse: Pakistan and Mexico,” the report states. The outcome of that internal conflict in America’s southern neighbor will have a “major impact on the stability of the Mexican state” over the next several years, according to the Joint Forces Command, a Defense Department combat command that includes different military service branches, active and reserves, according to the El Paso Times. The report warns that “any descent by Mexico into chaos would demand an American response based on the serious implications for homeland security alone.” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the U.S. has developed plans for a “surge” in crime fighters if the drug wars in Mexico should spread across the border. The plans call for aircraft, armored vehicles and special teams to converge on trouble spots along the border. Military forces would be used if civilian agencies like the Border Patrol and local law enforcement were unable to control the violence. Criminal activity in Mexico has killed more than 5,300 people in the past year, including members of warring drug cartels, law enforcement officials and bystanders, many of them slain close to the U.S. border [End report]. Physical fencing is used in areas where the border is close to a "vanishing point" where an illegal immigrant can easily blend into a larger population and move into the interior of the country. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has created a toolbox of fencing solutions which include but are not limited to: vehicle bollards similar to those found around federal buildings; "post on rail" steel set in concrete with a mesh option; steel picket-style fence set in concrete; concrete jersey walls with steel mesh; a "Normandy" vehicle fence consisting of steel beams. These designs were the result of CBP's Fence Lab which evaluated nine low-cost fencing solutions that could be rapidly deployed along the Southwest Border. Technology (Virtual Fence) In remote areas along the border, tower-based integrated cameras and sensors, ground-based radar, mobile surveillance systems, and an unmanned aerial system along with traditional border patrols. These tools are part of CBP's technology solution. Natural Geographic Barriers Rivers, mountain ranges and other geographic objects can provide a natural barrier to illegal entry. Region's Fiascos To Continue? It's out now, Xerox Corp. has begun carrying outlayoffs, with 275 Rochester-area employees losing their jobs over the next several weeks. The layoffs are part of a companywide program to eliminate 3,000 jobs out of a total of 57,000. The cutbacks amount to 4 percent of the local work force, reducing it to 7,320. Unionized employees won't be affected and most sales positions will be retained. Otherwise, cuts will be across the board. Mr Duffy-Miz Brooks..... NOW IS THE TIME to postpone, if not cancel, the Reniassance Square project; NOW IS THE TIME to bring RocWil in line-forcefully negotiate with them to pay on the "Sibley Building" arrearages!! The local economy is on a "down-hill slide" and you wanna piss away as much taxpayers money as possible?? You have state and federal grants in line that you argue will go away if not acted upon..... Let'em go away!! If the project's worthy, the grants will return; if it ain't, your legacy may be: you saved the taxpayers countless $Millions!!

obama Cabinet: "High-Octane" Clinton?

Since he started revealing his [ill advised] cabinet choices, I've called obama's cabinet "Clinton-Lite." Given the "innocent mistakes" of some of the nominees, I've had to revise the title to "High-Octane" Clinton Cabinet. Slick-Willie hired crooks as well, but he was more subtle in the process.... maintaining deniability!! obama's nominated some of the most inept dunces on the planet!! Take this crook, Geithner..... obama wants him to run Treasury-to keep the nation's "purse strings." Someone so inept that he couldn't hide the fact that he evaded his federal tax liability for years; someone who, after the IMF "grossed-up" [essentially paying his taxes for him] his pay to cover the liability; someone who, after receiving IMF literature highlighting the tax liabilities several times a year-"forgot to pay" his taxes. The revelations that G-Crook had failed to pay $34,000 in taxes several years ago derailed Senate Democrats' plans to speed him to confirmation, but senators in both parties said the information was unlikely to torpedo his chances in the end. obama had hoped for approval by Tuesday, but senators now have scheduled G-Crook's confirmation hearing for next Wednesday, with Senate debate and a vote sometime after that. Two Republicans objected to scheduling a confirmation hearing this Friday at the Senate Finance Committee after the panel disclosed Geithner had failed to pay taxes he owed for several years. He paid some of the taxes in 2006, after an IRS audit discovered the discrepancy for taxes paid in 2003 and 2004. But it wasn't until much later—when he was all-but-certain of the Treasury nomination—that G-Crook paid back most of the taxes, incurred in 2001 and 2002. G-Crook, who prepared his own tax returns in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2005, and used paid preparers in other years, acknowledged receiving a written guide on how to pay the self-employment taxes he owed.

One has to ask: What does this say about the obama Transition Team? They discovered this evasion evidence during the vetting process, and yet put G-Crook forward for nomination!! Don' know 'boutchu, but I'da fired the whole dam' bunch!! What does this say about obama? obama calls G-Crook's willful evasion an "innocent mistake" and continues to support the crook!! G-Crook only satisfied all his liabilities after he was assured of future employment. Don' know 'boutchu, but I wouldn't want the dumb-ass around!!

Til Nex'Time......

This'n'That; January 15th[paterson;rob'em;duffy-brooks;Sibley]

[Photo: The Sibley Building, Rochester, NY] You Feel Abandoned? Don't! So "Rob'em" left you for the State Department; she hasn't abandoned the upstate New York area..... she RARELY represented us anyway! Her "representation" philosophy is.... go with the money; go with the power. There's far-and-away more opportunities for both being the Secretary of State. Just as many tea parties, meet-and-greets, fund-raisers, but....... catering to a far more affluent clientele. You Feel Abandoned? Don't [Part 2]! The taxpayers' opinions matter less than ever in the selection of the "Rob'em" replacement. Guvner Dave has the constitutional right....nay-obligation.... to select her replacement. Even though polls revealing overwhelming support for a Cuomo appointment over a "Princess Caroline coronation," be prepared for the latter. Despite Andrew's comparatively far-superior resume'; despite the obama proclamation of less drama in federal governance, the princess is one of obama's friends.... as is Roland Burris...... [hint, hint!!] Leave it to Guvner Dave to do the right thing for the state....... to ensure that he's in line to receive federal giveaway money [ta Hell with what the public wants in its' representation!!]!! Mayor Duffy;Maggie Brooks-A RenSq Solution? Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has kicked hundreds of families out of their homes and relocated a cemetery full of buried bodies to build a whopping $15 billion airport expansion Chicago residents oppose, airlines don’t want and he doesn’t have the money to build. The “O’Hare Modernization Project,” has enabled the city to seize 433 acres of land from surrounding villages under a special “quick-take authority” power given to Daley by the state. Bensenville, a middle class suburban community that borders the airport on the south and west corners, is one of those villages. So far, the city of Chicago has taken 600 parcels of land from Bensenville, representing 15 percent of the village’s total area. 533 of those parcels were single-family homes. Approximately 90 of them were businesses. “It’s all been snatched up,” said Bensenville City Manager Jim Johnson, who opposes the project. Johnson is now trying to prevent the demolition of those homes because proper guarantees have not been made for the health and safety of the community. While that battle is being waged in court, all that’s left are essentially vacant buildings, many of them livable homes in good condition. Last fall, OMP completed its first phase, which involved the construction of a new $565 million runway and tower on the airport’s north side. Airlines are unsupportive of the project, calling it “inappropriate” and “ill-conceived” in letters to the Federal Aviation Administration. American, United, Delta, Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines and ANA-All Nippon told the FAA the plan was flawed. One Delta Air Lines executive even called the plan an “impulsive grab for [tax] funds.” The airlines were specifically opposed to request made by the city to FAA to approve a tax increase on passenger ticket sales to raise $182 million to pay for second phase of the project. Daley has also sought federal grants from the FAA. Daley’s insistence the project is completed by 2014 so that the airport can accommodate tourists traveling to Chicago in 2016 for the Summer Olympics, has also been ridiculed. (A site for the games has not yet been selected). “We’d like to put a knife in this project,” City Manager Johnson said. “It is not about providing aviation capacity, it is not about providing any services for the traveling public and the taking of this property is unnecessary because the project doesn’t work and they don’t have the money to fund it.” Mayor Daley doesn’t seem too concerned about these issues raised. He recently said he would bypass state legislators to lobby the federal government for funding under President-elect Obama’s $800 billion stimulus bill. “That’s how you do creative financing,” he added. One could easily substitute the appropriate word/phrase in the report on Daley's shenanigans to fit the current Rochester boondoggle-"Renaissance Square." Speaking Of "RenSquare......" The Duffy Administration may have waited too long before "attending to business." Now, the city may be stuck with yet another boondoggle..... the Sibley Building and Tower [photo, above]. One of the Wilmot family companies, RochWil-the one controlling the downtown Sibley Building, owes the city $18 million in past-due loans and other payments. "I think we are at a point now where there is no intention to pay the outstanding debt," Mayor Robert Duffy said recently. "We are exploring options, right now." At least twice in recent weeks the mayor has met privately with senior staff to review, yet again, the Sibley question and the city's inability to collect. But when it comes to not paying debts owed the city, the mayor said: "It certainly is not a cash-flow problem. There are major investments being made in (these) suburban malls." The mammoth Sibley building and tower sit on East Main Street and has Monroe Community College is the largest tenant. The property accounts for almost all of the city's nearly $20 million in delinquent loans, payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) and other receivables. Rochester and Monroe County government officials are considering changes, however, that would cancel future PILOT agreements if an owner defaults, and place liens against the property. But in the case of Sibley, the city's options are few to none. And Tom Wilmot, chairman of Wilmorite Inc., said his options are limited as well. Wilmorite is the Rochester company that created RochWil, a limited liability company that controls Sibley and is in arrears with the city. "We're wiped out," Wilmot said, estimating that after collecting rents (including about $3 million annually from MCC), paying security and other expenses, the building runs a $600,000 to $1 million annual deficit. "There is no recovery plan we can figure out where we'll ever get a nickel out of this building. It would be cheaper for us right now just to mothball the place." The only reason Sibley remains open is MCC, Wilmot said. Some of RochWil's payments are more than 12 years delinquent. But by creating RochWil as a limited liability company, with the Sibley Building being its sole asset, Wilmorite and all other Wilmot family assets are shielded from liability. "The problem all along is the total complex of the building is not worth what the debt is on the building," Richards, the city's corporation counsel, said of Sibley. "If we could somehow force a resolution ... we would put ourselves in a worse situation than we are today." The city could find itself stuck, like Wilmot is today, having to assume the annual upkeep expenses. Til Nex'Time......

This'n'That; January 14th[rob'em;geithner;obama]

The "Blind 100"........ I'm just as much at fault as you are!! I stood by and watched the "Blind 100" get elected each time they ran. Now, we've got the best government "money can buy." Diogenes would be as "at-home" in the halls of Congress as he was in the streets of Athens; He would find as many "honest men" in the federal legislature as he did in the greek city...... NONE!!!! I'm kinda curious why obama nominated Geithner to be the Treasury secretary; Does the department need a thief and felon at the top to supervise the rest of the thieves and felons working there? This Geithner guy failed to pay tens of thousands of dollars in federal taxes; $43,200 is a close estimate. After a 2006 Internal Revenue Service audit identified the lapse on his 2003 and 2004 tax returns, Mr. Geithner paid tax and interest of $17,230 and the I.R.S. waived penalties. Mr. Geithner, why didn't you correct the earlier years’ non-payment of self-employment taxes after the 2006 IRS audit identified the problem for 2003 and 2004? [obama: need some help figgerin' this out? Cuz he's A THIEF!!] . It is unclear whether the questions, which came to the obama transition staff and the Finance Committee, will hurt his chances for Senate confirmation [????][If this were a Republican would the "Blind 100" be so quick to sweep the crimes under the rug??]. “obama chose Tim Geithner to be his Treasury Secretary because he’s the right person to help lead our economic recovery during these challenging times,” said Robert Gibbs, the incoming White House press spokesman, in a statement [...a THIEF is the right person to guard and protect the nation's "purse strings??"]. “He’s dedicated his career to our country and served with honor, intelligence and distinction [ .....Progressive-speak for: "steal as much as ya can from the taxpayers, we been doin' it for years!!"]. That service should not be tarnished by honest mistakes, which, upon learning of them, he quickly addressed. He made a common mistake on his taxes; we hope that the Senate [read: "Blind 100"] will confirm him with strong bipartisan support so that he can begin the important work of the country [....stealin' more from the Treasury than it can afford??].” .....And what about the "softball" questions for Hillary Rob'em Clinton? Did anyone ask why she lobbied in support of Paetec Holdings [a communications company] concerning local carrier access rates before the FCC? [did it have to do with the $35,000 "Slick Willie" Foundation annual dues or the $10Million to M.I.T. to fulfill a SW Foundation "requirement??"] What about all the foreign potentates she'll deal with if confirmed?? Ya think they won't be expectin' somethin' in return for their $Millions in donations?? Even before she offered the Senate Foreign Relations Committee her opening statement, Clinton was told by Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), the committee's ranking Republican, that the former president's Clinton Foundation could represent a temptation for foreign governments and other overseas entities to try to influence U.S. policies."The only certain way to eliminate this risk going forward is for the Clinton Foundation to forswear foreign contributions," Lugar said, arguing that restrictions and guidelines worked out between the incoming Obama administration and the foundation should be tightened.An existing agreement with the obama team represents "a beginning, not an end" to controls on the foundation's activities, Lugar said. Lugar is goofy if he thinks that'll happen!! Both Rob'em and Slick Willie are all about the money and the power.....they ain't gonna give up either with out a heluva fight!!!

I Found One.......!!

This guy, James Inhofe, R-Ok, seems to have read Econ-101....AND UNDERSTANDS IT'S PRINCIPLES!!!

U.S. Sen. James Inhofe tells Newsmax that Congress’ approval of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout is the “most outrageous vote in American history.” The Oklahoma Republican also said he doesn’t believe taxpayers will see the bailout funds paid back as promised. “First of all I was somewhat of a leader of the opposition way back in October, in mid-October,” Inhofe responded. “I think history will treat that vote as the most outrageous vote in American history, where 75 percent of the House and Senate voted to give an unelected bureaucrat an unprecedented amount of money – the largest amount in American history to be actually voted on at one time, with no strings attached, no guidelines, no oversight. “Now that was bad enough and then … President Bush came out with his statement [asking for the appropriation], which really disappointed me. I was still trying to get what we call S64 and that would have made the members of Congress responsible for passing or not passing this recommendation from Obama. “Now what has happened is that President Bush has said, I guess he called up Obama, and said: What’s your wish list? “We’ve already introduced our resolution of disapproval … I think it will pass the House and it could pass the Senate, although I think Harry Reid would not even allow a vote on it just to save the embarrassment to the new president, Obama, because all he has to do is veto the resolution of disapproval and then” the votes are there to override the veto. “So it’s a fait accompli,” he added. “It is done. We’re going to have another $350 billion to add to the first $350 billion. “And I think there are a lot of smart economists who have said that nothing really good happened with the first $350 billion.” Martella asked: “Wasn’t [Treasury Secretary Henry] Paulson supposed to account for the way he spent the money?” Inhofe answered: “He was supposed to account for it. Even worse than that, he promised how it was going to be spent. He was going to buy damaged assets. That’s what he was going to do. “Fifteen minutes after he got his hands on the money, he forgot all about that and never bought any damaged assets and instead bailed out various banks… “A lot of Republicans are saying, well that money’s not gone, he bought preferred stock and it’s going to be paid back with interest. “Well that would be awfully nice, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Til Nex'Time........