This'n'That; January 12th [Blogging;RIT;NY Budget]

Blogging Here; Elsewhere I've spent most of the weekend trying to add another "hit counter" to this blog. The one that I added about two years ago just suddenly "went away" last week. I found a free hit counter on bravenet.com. After several futile attempts to add it to this blog I went to bravenet.com with the thought that if I blogged through their site, it would be much easier. WRONG!!! That site is far more confusing than this one is!! Being the "A-D-D" kid that I am, I had decided to give up blogging altogether.....b-u-t........I like to blog!! It takes alotta time; I do alotta research so that the entries are as factually accurate as I can make 'em, which is probably why I like bloggin'.....the research!! Hackers! If you have: ever attended R.I.T.[Rochester Istititute of Technology], ever worked at-or for-R.I.T., ever had any dealings with R.I.T., ever attempted to spell R.I.T., you might want to contact them. It was revealed that last Wednesday, a hacker broke into their records and accessed information on about 400 current and former students. The institution says it'll provide credit protection for one year for those accessed. Are You Ready? "Hang onta yer socks, We're off like a dirty shirt!!!" We're about to get the "change we need!!" Man, do I gotta lota crap ta learn!! Seems the Democrats were having trouble force-feeding their "liberal" crap to the general populous so sometime during the last year or so, they've changed the label on their crap to: "progressive"..... whata Hell ever they think that means. To me, progressive means "to progress." Are we showing progress to continue the giveaway programs that will indebt generations to come?? The current and forthcoming indebtedness will have it's designed outcome... more power for the Washington Elite, more control over more facets of American life!! If all this government power and control really worked..... The Soviet Union would still be going strong; China would be the seat of the financial world; There woulda been NO NEED for the Berlin Wall-people woulda been tryin' to GET IN-not-GET OUT; Ronald Reagan woulda been just a footnote in Hollywood-not one of the most influential politicians of the twentieth-century!! Til Nex'Time....... Hey Dave.... Ya Forgot Ta Tax This...... A cuppla weeks ago Lonsberry [ www.wham1180.com ; www.lonsberry.com ] had a really good idea for something Guvner Dave forgot to tax..... that being Political Contributions!! So....Dave...... I took the liberty of doin' some'a the gazinta's for ya. Your buddy, just before he got caught "dippin' his wick," raised $30,054,178 in contributions, give-or-take a cuppla hookers. Then add the $20,018,736 in Assembly contributions + the $40,497,744 in Senate contributions. The total comes in at a whoppin' $90,570,658!! Then ya put on a, say...... 25%, tax on the gross receipts. That'll equal about $22,642,664.... to the state treasury!! Then..... and here's the novel part of the plan....... for those monies that aren't actually spent on political campaigns.... those funds that the candidate usually folds into his personal account and pisses away any way he or she wants.... yup, that money: If it ain't spent on a campaign, it's subject to a 65% re-designation fee. Say the crooks for state-wide offices only spend 50% of their receipts-that'll leave about $33,963,997 subject to the re-designation fee..... 'n' the fee'll bring an additional $22,076,598 into the coffers........PROBLEM SOLVED!! Maybe Guvner Dave already thoughta this, cuz in his "state-a-the-state speech, he proposed both cutting spending AND allocating more money for new and improved giveaway programs.........

This'n'That; January 9th[Limbaugh;Burris;RedLights;Taxes;perks;slaughter

The Laws Are For You NOT THEM!! Immunity - Or Impunity? Article I, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution states that Senators and Representatives: [S]hall, in all cases, except treason, felony, and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place. Given the era in which the Constitution was written, this clause made good sense. Parliaments had much to fear from kings or other sovereigns who would use their own troops to interfere with legislative business. Additionally, partisans within Congress might very well be able to manipulate law enforcement officials to act maliciously against their political opponents, and thus influence the outcome of key votes. Predictably, lawmakers in the modern age have put their own "spin" on this clause. Not until 1992 was Congress put out of the business of helping Members to avoid traffic and parking tickets. Prior to that time, the House's Sergeant-At-Arms would process all the necessary paperwork on behalf of Members to have the tickets canceled, a process conducted with the District of Columbia Mayor's Office and the Department of Public Works. However, even without help from Congressional staff, lawmakers still often enjoy "free rides" from police who are reluctant to push tickets anyway. According to press accounts, 81-year-old Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) was recently involved in a rear-end collision with a van on Route 50 in Fairfax, VA, during which he produced to the ticketing officer a copy of the Constitution and pointed to the clause mentioned earlier in this section. At the Fair Oaks Police Station Byrd reiterated his claim of immunity and asked the shift commander to call the Commonwealth's Attorney for Fairfax to obtain confirmation that his claim was valid. Byrd was re-issued the ticket one week later, but he was not fined. Lawmakers claimed the right to exempt themselves from another system of "fines" known to children across America -- those applying to overdue library books. In 1994, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) introduced the "Library of Congress Book Protection Act," in response to official estimates that 1/3 of the books on loan from the Library of Congress were overdue, and that $12 million worth of books were "missing." In many cases, Senators, Representatives, and Congressional staff members were implicated. Even Congress's retirement policy has given lawmakers a legal "leg up" on the rest of America. According to the Wall Street Journal, former Rep. Philip Sharp's (D-IN) pension -- which began at $65,000 when he was just 52 years old -- would be "almost unheard of [in the private sector] because it exceeds by $14,000 or more the Tax Code limits Congress has placed on business deductions for early pensions above certain levels." "Geeze-Louise," DON'T HELP!! U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, is weighing in on the fate of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation by appealing to Gov. David Paterson to maintain funding for the agency that promotes the state’s wine and grape juice industry. Slaughter sent a letter to Paterson today in which she said the foundation’s “partnership with the state has taken this industry from economic crisis to being among the fastest growing areas in the agriculture and tourism sectors.” She said $3 million that the state allocated in this fiscal year is returning $3.4 billion to the New York economy. Paterson has proposed that funding for the wine and grape foundation be cut from the fiscal 2010 budget. Since the foundation was formed in 1985, more than 200 wineries have started in New York, Slaughter said. "In my district, wineries have flourished across Erie, Orleans, Monroe and Niagara counties with the foundation’s support. It is clear that this small investment in our wine and grape industry helps stimulate this essential sector of our agricultural economy in an economically depressed area,” she wrote. "Geeze-Louise," Paterson doesn't need help like that! You have a Trillion-Dollar budget to piss away-Dave doesn't! By your own numbers...... the New York wine and grape industry are well able to shoulder this expense on their own. If the 200 wineries you cited are the only ones in NYS [which I doubt!] they'd have to contribute but $15,000 to the foundation to match the state's previous funding. Again by your own numbers..... those same 200 wineries would reap a return-on-investment of $170,000.00!! a return of roughly 1034% NOT TOO SHABBY, wouldn'tcha say?? Limbaugh: 'Segregationist' Sen. Reid Barred Burris [as reported on Newsmax.com] Tuesday, January 6, 2009 6:37 PM By: David A. Patten Talk radio host Rush Limbaugh on Tuesday compared Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to infamous Southern segregationists Lester Maddox and George Wallace, because he is blocking the appointment of former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate. Bristling over how the media has covered the Senate’s refusal to seat Burris, Limbaugh blamed “a few extremist liberal racists and others” for questioning whether President-elect Barack Obama and Burris are “authentically black enough.” Conservatives, he said, do not think in such terms. “You’ve got a guy who’s legit, he’s qualified, and according to the Chicago Tribune today he’s ‘authentically black,’” Limbaugh told listeners. “And a bunch of white people would not let him in the door, would not let him use the restroom or the drinking water. Now what are we to make of this?” Had Republicans refused to seat a legally qualified African-American appointee, Limbaugh said, the media coverage would have been much different. “If Harry Reid were a Republican … he would have been stoned and pilloried, they would have demanded his ouster for his lack of sensitivity,” Limbaugh charged. Limbaugh continued his broadside against progressive hypocrisy on matters of race: “They are compassionate and feeling, and they love minorities and they want minorities to excel -- except, except when the minorities get too uppity. And then it’s time to revert to Bull Connor, or, in this case, Lester Maddox. “What’s the difference in dingy Harry and Lester Maddox? George Wallace? Remember, all these great segregationists of the past are Democrats. It’s in the blood, and it’s showing up on the steps of the United States Senate,” Limbaugh said. Lester Maddox is the late Georgia governor who defended states’ rights and was considered an advocate for segregation during the Civil Rights era. Bull Connor was the public safety commissioner of Birmingham, Ala., who used fire hoses to attack civil-rights marchers. Wallace, a former governor of Alabama, was an opponent of desegregation who ran for the presidency on four occasions. Limbaugh said that Democrats, by their treatment of Burris, are “in the process of delegitimizing themselves.” Embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed Burris to fill the seat vacated by Obama. Limbaugh warned Democrats are on “thin Constitutional ice” in their refusal to accept Burris as a member of the Senate. Red light cameras as a moneymaker? Court says OK Not only is it OK for Chicago to use red light cameras to issue traffic tickets, but it’s also OK for the city to use the cameras as a means of generating extra income. That’s the ruling of a federal appeals court in a case where the owner of a car filed suit because a ticket was issued to her, even though she wasn’t driving the car at the time of the violation. The ruling by the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decided the woman’s right to due process wasn’t violated because the United States Supreme Court has upheld the seizure of cars, even in cases where the owner had nothing to do with the offense. And the judges wrote that the fact that the city’s red light cameras raise general revenue doesn’t condemn the system. According to the Chicago Sun-Times and other Chicago news sources, the red light cameras have generated more than $110 million in revenue so far. Most of the money is being used to reduce the city’s debt, as opposed to being plowed back into police or traffic operations. Chicago presently has 136 cameras and plans to add more. North Carolina committee recommends tolled interstates, mileage tax [This article found at http://www.landlinemag.com/] An appointed committee in North Carolina wants state lawmakers to consider tolling interstate highways and implementing a mileage-based tax to replace the state fuel tax. The North Carolina 21st Century Transportation Committee, appointed by the state General Assembly, submitted a final report to lawmakers in December containing several recommendations for funding transportation and infrastructure. Lawmakers will consider the recommendations over the course of the legislative session, which begins Jan. 28. The state faces a number of challenges including an aging infrastructure and a growing population. From 1990 to 2005, the state population grew 30 percent and vehicle miles traveled increased by 40 percent. North Carolina has more than 2,500 bridges deemed to be structurally deficient. The state currently ranks 49th in total revenue generated per lane mile. “The North Carolina Department of Transportation reports that to meet current needs and to prepare North Carolina for 2030, an estimated additional investment of over $65 billion is required to plan, design, build and maintain all aspects of our transportation systems,” committee members stated in the final report. Recommendations for generating revenue include: Tolling Interstate 95 border to border to pay for widening; tolling Interstate 77 from South Carolina to Interstate 40 in Statesville, NC, to pay for widening; and tolling all interstate highways at state borders; Implementing a tax on vehicle miles traveled as a supplement or alternative to the fuel tax; Indexing all fixed user fees to inflation; Eliminating transfers from the state Highway Trust Fund to the general fund, including State Highway Patrol funding; Increasing vehicle registration fees; Increasing the Highway Use Tax to 4 percent from 3 percent; Accelerating the state’s bond program to build critical infrastructure; and, Authorizing local governments to implement a sales tax of 1 percent for transportation. Spending that money should be based on strict priorities and using a “fix it first” policy, committee members said. Committee members are advocating congestion relief, a $300-million annual bridge program, and an increased use of rail for passengers and freight. Oregon governor wants further look into mileage tax [This article found at http://www.landlinemag.com/] A year after a report in Oregon said a tax system based on miles driven could one day replace per-gallon fuel taxes at the pump, Gov. Ted Kulongoski released a budget proposal for 2009 that calls for a mileage tax on many vehicles. As part of a transportation-related bill he has filed for the session, which convenes Monday, Jan. 12, the governor said he plans to recommend “a path to transition away from the gas tax as the central funding source for transportation.” Kulongoski said changes are needed because people are driving less, they are using more fuel-efficient vehicles, and the fuel tax doesn’t go as far as it used to. He said those reasons are enough to come up with an alternative method to pay for transportation work. To work toward that goal, Kulongoski wants the task force that studied and tested the idea of a mileage tax two years ago to continue their work. The pilot program equipped about 300 passenger vehicles with global positioning satellite devices that worked with fuel pumps at two service stations. The setup allowed participants to pay their mileage tax as they do their gas tax. They found that the participants were receptive to the experience. The program is not geared toward truckers in Oregon, because they already pay on a system of mileage and weight and not by the number of gallons consumed. Nevertheless, discussion on the issue at the federal level has the attention of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. The truckers group says the debate over federal transportation policy needs to be settled before the funding mechanism is advanced. However, the advancement of the tax collection method appears likely. “We think ultimately VMT is where the highway funding issue will have to go, but the capabilities to do that aren’t fully developed yet,” OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer said. Advocates for the mileage-based tax system in Oregon acknowledge that any change is probably years away. The pilot program determined that manufacturers would need to install the technology in new vehicles because retrofitting vehicles would be too expensive. Older vehicles would continue to pay fuel taxes. Critics say the program that uses GPS could allow the government to track the movement of drivers. However, proponents say the ODOT experiment showed that transmission of vehicle locations is required. Til Nex'Time.......

This'n'That; January 8th [tax;obamalogic;Investing;StatePay;Port]

Port-of-Rochester Marina Plan

A kidney-shaped marina with wrap-around residential and commercial development would be the centerpiece of the Port of Rochester redevelopment, under a design released by City Hall. The marina would be south of the terminal building, and the entrance would be moved about 900 feet south of a previously discussed marina access. The proposal also calls for keeping parking spaces north of the marina-near the entrances to Ontario Beach Park and the pier-and adding more spaces. A public walkway would encircle the marina, which would also have public-access viewing areas on the north and south ends. Residential buildings, some mixed with commercial uses, would surround the marina, except on the eastern side facing the Genesee River. Some of those buildings would nudge Lake Avenue. Work would be done in phases, with the first phase including public development of a 70- to 80-slip marina and private development of residential space along Lake Avenue between Portside Drive and Corrigan Street. Under the second phase, the marina could be expanded to as many as 120 slips, and additional private development opportunities would be created. The preliminary cost for the first phase is $15.9 million. The second phase is estimated to cost another $9.3 million.Reviews and permits could take years, officials said. Under a best-case scenario, construction could start within three years, Gregor said. The fully developed marina would include a handful of slips for large boats of 50, 60 or 70 feet. The housing could range from 280 units to 430. A committee of the Charlotte Community Association reviewed several proposals and said everyone voted for the plan presented by the city. The 40-acre port redevelopment area lies between Lake Avenue and the Genesee River, south of Ontario Beach Park. Little noticeable change has come to the port since the departure of the bankrupt Rochester-to-Toronto ferry three years ago. The city's development plans shifted downtown and port development took a back step to refocus, plan and negotiate.

Wanna Find Out Government Pay Scales? With New York State's finances in such disarray, I was casting about on the internet for statistics on how my state tax money is being spent. I found out that a civilian working as a state police dispatcher earns $46,238/year [or $22.23 per hour IF they are subject to a 40 hour work week, which some positions ARE NOT]. From what I know, these dispatchers are not much more than low-level secretaries; clerk-typists!! I found this info by wandering around at http://www.seethroughny.net/ .

obama Tax Plan-The Right Course? obama has adopted a key component of Bush's fiscal policy: A novel bookkeeping method that guarantees that the $9.5 trillion national debt will get much bigger [Anyone see the similarity to FDRs "New Deal?" obama's legacy might well be the "Raw Deal!"]. When obama promises to cut taxes for the middle class without increasing the deficit, he is measuring his proposals against the large deficits that would result from Bush's plan to extend his signature tax cuts beyond their 2010 expiration date [See italics, below]. Because obama wants to eliminate some of the Bush tax cuts, he would bring more money into the Treasury, permitting him to pay for new programs without increasing the deficit even more [Does one need further evidence that government {at any level} DOES NOT NEED more lawyers? An accounting/finance grad-student understands that TAX CUTS will generate more income to the treasury than do TAX INCREASES or increased "wealth transfers!]. But under current law, all the tax cuts expire and the deficit disappears completely. Measured against current law and against the promises of his fellow Democrats, obama would rack up huge deficits. According to a recent analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, obama's tax plan would add $3.4 trillion to the national debt, including interest, by 2018.

Anyone Remember Indy-Mac?

A seven-member investor group including billionaire George Soros and Dell Inc. founder Michael Dell have agreed to purchase failed lender IndyMac Bank, one of the largest casualties of the housing bust, for $13.9 billion. IndyMac, which specialized in loans made with little down payment or proof of assets, was seized by the government in July. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Friday that a holding company agreed to buy IndyMac in a deal reached Wednesday. The investors have formed a partnership, called IMB Management Holdings LP, that includes Dell's investment firm, MSD Capital. Once the deal closes, the investment group will pour $1.3 billion in new capital into IndyMac and continue to operate the Pasadena, Calif-based bank, the FDIC said. [Historically, IndyMac shares have sold for as high as $48.32-as low as $0.02. Volume has been way down from it's traditional three month average of 1.68 million shares traded. Since the new year, daily trading has hovered around the half-million mark Now that "the big money" has discovered the stock, this might be the time to take a flyer on it. It closed on 01/07 at $0.125/share. Be sure to find out all you can before making any investment in any stock!!]

obama To Defy Logic-"Spend America Into Prosperity"

obama said on Tuesday he expects to inherit a U.S. budget deficit approaching $1 trillion and his administration would have to make some tough budget choices. Just after meeting with his economic team, obama said it was possible that trillion-dollar deficits could stretch into coming years and that he and his team want to instill a "sense of responsibility" about future budget choices. Obama is seeking quick action from Congress on a package of spending and tax-cut measures that would total nearly $775 billion over next two years. The president-elect is to deliver a speech on Thursday about the economy, where he will lay out more details about the plan that he says would save or create 3 million jobs and is aimed at helping lift the U.S. economy out of a deepening recession. obama and congressional Democrats are talking about a package that would include money for the building of roads, bridges and schools as well as money to promote renewable energy projects. It may also include more than $300 billion in tax cuts. While many in the Democratic-led Congress also are eager to move swiftly on an economic stimulus, Republicans are insisting that the package receive careful scrutiny to avoid wasteful spending. Obama initially had said he hoped the package could approved and ready for his signature shortly after he takes office but now his aides and congressional sources say mid-February seems like a more realistic time frame for passage of the measure. Private analysts expect the report to show a deficit of more than $1 trillion for the fiscal year 2009 that ends in September. That would be more than double the roughly $455 billion budget gap in 2008, which was already a record. Obama, who is trying to garner broad backing for the stimulus plan and has been courting Republicans as well as Democrats, said Americans who voted for him were "demanding that we restore a sense of responsibility," including on budget practices. He said his pick to become the new White House budget director, Peter Orszag, was forecasting that the budget deficit would likely approach $1 trillion "before we've even started" and that more deficits could be coming in years ahead. "The reason I raise this is because we're going to have to stop talking about budget reform" and realize it is "an absolute necessity." He said a rescue package is needed but that "we're not going to be able to expect the American people to support" the rescue unless steps are taken to reform the budget. Orszag, who attended the economic meeting that Obama convened at his transition headquarters in Washington, has been head of the Congressional Budget Office for the past two years. The budget report issued on Wednesday was prepared by acting CBO director Robert Sunshine.

Til Nex'Time........

This'n'That; January 7th[MagicNegro;Charity;Scam;burris]

"barack The Magic Negro" Has anyone in the media ever listened to the lyrics? It's not even about obama!! The parody by Paul Shanklin is actually about Al Sharpton. The gist of the song is that everybody just loves barack and since he's been running for the presidency, the media is ignoring Sharpton. In the lyrics, barack isn't "authentic like me [Sharpton]." Other than playing the parody on his show, Rush Limbaugh had very little to do with it. The basis is a March, 2007 op-ed piece by David Ehrenstein in the LA Times. The whining came to the fore when RNC candidate Chip Saltsman sent Republican National Committee members a Christmas CD which contained the "...Magic Negro" parody. Wegman's Helps Their Communities I found this article in the local Demogogue and Comical. If you don't know who the article is talking about, you probably don't live in the Northeast. Wegman's is a family-owned supermarket chain with it's origins in Rochester, N.Y. They have stores in, among others, NY, Pa, Ohio, Md and Va. Both the family and the business are known for their charitable giving.

Wegmans customers can receive up to a 14-day supply of generic oral antibiotic prescriptions free between Wednesday and March 31, representatives of the 72-store grocery chain announced today.Wegmans estimates that the program will save customers up to $1 million. Customers who use the store’s free Shoppers Club card can fill their prescriptions or receive refills on: Amoxiciliin, Cephalexin, Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim, Ciprofloxacin (excluding Ciprofloxacin XR), Penicillin VK, Ampicillin, Tetracycline, Erythromycin Stearate and Ethylsuccinate, and Doxycycline Hyclate capsules.

Fraud Should Be Investigated

I found the following article in the January, 2009 issue of "Kipliner's Personal Finance Magazine:"

[ Verbatim ]

PRETENDING TO BE IN DISTRESS?

***Q: My family as well as several other families in our neighborhood now owe more on our mortgages than our homes are worth. At a recent party I heard some of our friends talking about the new federal mortgage-relief programs and how they were planning to get their monthly payments reduced. No one has lost their job, and I don't see anyone making cutbacks in lifestyle. But these neighbors plan to go into arrears on their payments-which jumped when their mortgage rates adjusted upward-and make a case for hardship. It seems to me that all of us simply bought more house than we should have, at the top of a hot market, or perhaps we borrowed too much against our home equity for living expenses, our bad luck or bad judgment, not anyone else's fault. My husband and I are going to reduce our spending and wait this out. Our friends say we are chumps not to get on board the gravy train. What do you think?***

Now, the answer from Knight Kiplinger, Editor in Chief; Kiplinger's:

###I agree with you that it would be unethical to use public funds from the mortgage-relief programs in this situation, and I commend you for your self-awareness and integrity. These programs are designed for the many true victims of this housing crisis-for example, unsophisticated home buyers who were dupd by shady lenders and brokers into taking bigger loans than they could afford, and folks who brought suitably priced houses and were managing just fine until they were laid off or suffered a medical emergency. There are countless numbers of these homeowners, and they need help to avoid foreclosure. The government is spending a finite amount of money on this project. What your neighbors are atempting to do by gaming the system is divert public funds from those borrowers who truly cannot meet their mortgage obligations and are truly in need. I find such behavior very offensive. It will be difficult for the administrators of these programs to distinguish real hardship from chiseling, but I hope they can.###

These "mortgage relief scammers" are my next candidates for "Testicular Suspension!!" I agree with Mr Kiplinger that the culprits will be hard to catch-but if they are caught....they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!!!

Top Ten Things-obama's First Year

10. President Obama signs into law the largest stimulus package in U.S. history by Feb. 1 (give or take a few days), with overwhelming support in both houses of Congress. 9. President Obama signs into law historic healthcare reform (nearly universal) within the first five months, 8. Business and labor (and their congressional and political supporters) go to war over EFCA (Employee Free Choice Act, or “card check”). 7. The need for a second, much larger auto bailout emerges as another major political battle by mid-year. 6. From Germany to Indonesia, and everywhere else in between, President Obama’s overseas visits draw some of the largest crowds in history. 5. Afghanistan, Russia, Pakistan, Iran and China dominate the new administration’s foreign policy agenda, with China becoming more assertive and Russia and Iran more bombastic. But it will be Iran’s unwillingness to give up its nuclear ambitions and Afghanistan’s growing instability that will pose the two biggest foreign policy challenges to the new Obama administration. 4. Called on by President Obama, President Clinton will serve as a special envoy and join with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to help restart a major peace initiative in the Middle East. 3. The Republican Party will continue to languish in the doldrums as they lack not only new ideas or a winning message to appeal to the nation’s changing demographics. 2. President Obama will not veto a single piece of legislation this year, but expect Republicans to threaten a filibuster more often than Britney Spears ends up in People. 1. From healthcare to the environment, President Obama’s administration accomplishes more in 12 months, legislatively, than any administration since FDR.

These are the opinions of the author: Chris Kofinis on www.thehill.com NOT MINE! All-in-all, I think obama will have major difficulty in getting much of anything through [or past] Congress. Eventually, most of America will wake up to the fact that no one; not an individual, not a government, can spend it's way to prosperity! I think obama is going to "walk to the office" on January 21st only to find himself "up-to-his-ass-in-alligators!!" We already have that ass-harry reid making an ass of himself over the Burris senatoral appointment. Next, it'll be pelosi flaunting a misguided, inflated, self-righteous opinion of herself. When one makes oneself the point-of-the-issue, very little of import will happen!!

Til Nex'Time.........

This'n'That; January 6th[Paterson;Rochester;Thruway;artist;Kansas]

Guard Your Wallets, He's Coming! Instead of giving an upstate State of the State address as his predecessor did last year, Gov. David Paterson is choosing to hold town-hall style meetings across the region. Spitzer was the first governor to hold two State of the State addresses: the traditional one in Albany and then one in Buffalo a week later. The intent was to offer specific initiatives that would help upstate, instead of folding those ideas into the traditional speech. The town-hall approach will allow residents to ask questions and interact with the governor on the ideas he lays out in the State of the State address, set for 1 p.m. Wednesday in Albany. Paterson committed Monday to doing at least four town-hall meetings across upstate, starting Sunday [01/11] in Watertown. Other events are tentatively scheduled for Feb. 4 in Binghamton, Feb. 11 in Rochester, Feb. 12 at the State University College at Geneseo and Feb. 18 in Buffalo. Times and locations have not been finalized. Paterson has moved away from Spitzer's plan to split up some state duties, particularly economic development, into upstate and downstate branches. Paterson has argued that New York is one state with a united purpose. This, most probably, will be just another photo-op; breeze into town, act concerned, take some photos, breeze outta town-all on the "taxpayers' dime." Don't fret tho' Guv, we're very well used to it; "Geeze-Louise" Slaughter, "Chucky-Cheese" Schumer, Hillary "Rob'em" Clinton and Princess "You know" Caroline do it on a regular basis. If you four political midgets stopped doing this, the federal and state coffers wouldn't be depleted as quickly..... and the result would be the same: NO CHANGE!! Rochester's "Hand" Is Out Mayor Bob Duffy has unveiled the city's official request for federal economic recovery funding. The request, which has been submitted to Governor David Paterson, US Rep "Geeze-Louise" Slaughter and co-senior Senators Charles "Chuckie-Cheese" Schumer and Hillary "Rob'em" Clinton, begs almost $51 million. It would fund a wide range of capital improvement projects specifically identified as "ready to go" before the end of the 2009 construction season. These include improvements to the Port of Rochester and the Genesee River waterfront in downtown; road and sidewalk improvements and reconstruction; and streetscape redesigns to create more pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. It also includes replacing heating and cooling systems at the Rundel Library and other city buildings with high-efficiency equipment; upgrading the city's streetlights with systems that improve lighting and reduce energy usage; water-quality improvements at Durand Eastman Beach and revitalizing urban parks. Capital improvement projects, while they may have miniscule long-range benefits, are essentially "make-work" projects like those which prolonged "The Great Depression" of the 1930s. The employment gains associated with these capital projects are temporary at best. When the project is completed the well-paid construction workers [and their paychecks] will be gone, looking for work elsewhere. In their wake, minimum-wage, lower-tier jobs will be left to pad the employment/ unemployment statistics. Incidently, who's gonna fill these jobs? Not the welfare rats; It's too cushy living on "the public dime." Maybe this'll be a magnet for more illegals.... then we can listen to the fruit growers whine that they have no labor pool to draw from. Most of Mayor Duffy's proposals appear to be concentrated in the downtown area. The downtown area has been "dying" for several years; about all that's left are the loitering thugs and hoodlums, trash and debris blowing through the canyons that were once vibrant city thorofares-teeming with pedestrians and vehicles alike. While you're at it Mayor, why don't you try for more "good money" to throw after the "bad money" already committed to the "Renaissance Square" fiasco?? Quite frankly, the city needs more than a monument to [Monroe] County Executive Maggie Brooks-It needs clean, safe streets; it needs profitable, sustainable employers and retail businesses. I'm not sure that the city and county political hierarchy realizes that the mega-corporations are essentially...... GONE!!; Kodak, Xerox, Bausch'n'Lomb, et al, are but mere skeletons of their former selves!!! S-h-h-h-h-h!!! Don't Tell The Guvner!!! [I found this in my daily email newsletter from Keith Goble, State Legislative Editor for Landline Magazine. { www.landlinemag.com }] A Kansas state senator wants to charge higher tolls on the Kansas Turnpike based on vehicle speed. Sen. David Haley, D-Kansas City, has prefiled for consideration during the upcoming session, a bill that would allow the Kansas Turnpike Authority to charge drivers extra if they speed on the road. Drivers’ speed would be determined by looking at the time vehicles entered and exited the turnpike. A new fee structure for affected drivers would be determined by the Turnpike Authority. The speed limit on the 236-mile roadway that extends from Emporia to Kansas City, KS, is 70 mph. Opponents say the effort unnecessarily meddles in turnpike board business. The turnpike authority primarily relies on toll collections to pay for roadwork and repairs. One advantage touted by advocates for the effort is that a lower toll rate for law-abiding drivers could promote fuel economy. The legislation would not interfere with the Kansas Highway Patrol’s efforts to patrol the turnpike. Haley’s bill – SB4 – is awaiting assignment to committee for the session that opens Jan. 12. Gawd!!! The Guvner could have huge fun with this one!!! I see it as America's truckers once again "takin' it in the financial shorts!!" I can't remember Kansas' fee structure for trucks; I DO REMEMBER New York's...... Yup... I'm one-a those!!! Those dam' truckdrivers-the ones that're always in your way, leave tire chunks everywhere, belch black smoke allatime.... but stop to help other motorists, indicate emergencies ahead with their 4-way flashers-incidents you can't see cuz you're sittin' on the ground while he[she]'s on "the second floor;" lead travelers through blizzards and whiteouts with their 4-way flashers [more of the "second-floor effect"-the driver can see OVER the blowing snow]; just stuff like that.....but-I digress!! The vast majority of trailers you see on America's highways are 53' long, up from the 60s standard of 48'. The weight limit on most states' highways remained the same for both trailer sizes [80,000lbs]; thus one does not do any more damage to the road surface that does the other. In New York's infinite wisdom, the Thruway charges twice as much [drivers get two toll cards] for a 53' as they do for a 48'. NY could add the speed toll to the already usurious rate they charge for the longer trailers. YOU-the consumer will ultimately pay the toll.... in increased prices at checkout!! Before I Fergitit............. Those of you who like beautiful wood, ya gotta check out another blog: http://dougswood.blogspot.com . This guy has talent you won't believe!! He does turnings in "plain-ol' wood" as well as some of the more exotic species. Til Nex'Time........