May 15, 2007
May 15 07:47 Seeing God in the Gas Tax Bill??? May 15 10:09 Blame It On Bush, Part VII May 15 11:47 It's the Recklessness, Stupid May 15 12:53 They're All Hype May 15 13:23 Jerry Falwell, RIP May 15 15:08 Nancy's Bad Day Gets Worse
Prior Years: 2006
Seeing God in the Gas Tax Bill???
Based on this Bernie Lieder quote in this morning's WC Trib, you'd think that he saw God in the gas tax bill:
Republicans understandably want to stand by their governor, Rep. Bernie Lieder said.Forgive me if I can't take Rep. Lieder seriously. It's obvious that the DFL thinks that raising everyone's taxes is a divine right of the DFL. It's equally obvious that they think that living within their means isn't mandated as long as their spending is offered on the altar of the greater good, aka Big Government. Here's a quote from Torrey Westrom that's worth remembering:
"But this is a higher calling now," said the Crookston DFLer and top House transportation negotiator, who acknowledged supporters appear one vote short of a veto-proof majority.
"Now the Democrats' new mantra is 'don't buy new cars because then your taxes won't go up as high,'" Westrom said.Thanks, Rep. Westrom. I'm recommending that that quote is included into the deck of cards that Derek Brigham is working on.
In addition to the gas tax hike, counties in the Twin Cities area could impose a 0.5 percent sales tax increase, without voter approval, for transportation. Counties outside the Twin Cities could do the same, but require voter approval.In other words, this legislation is about far more than increasing the gas tax.
It's worth looking back & asking a question. Had the DFL not ramrodded all the major legislation through on party line votes, would they have built up some good will with GOP legislators? Had they done that, they likely would've found more GOP allies for close fights like this.
Instead, they went about alienating every GOP legislator. Let's remember the way Tony Sertich 'behaved' during the House Permanent Rules fight. Let's remember that he used procedural motions to send reforms to his Rules Committee where he killed them. Rest assured that Mr. Sertich accumulated alot of ill will during that fight.
Let's remember how Margaret Anderson-Kelliher ruled Laura Brod's tax cuts "not germane" during a floor session on a tax bill. That didn't create any 'bipartisan bonds of friendship', either.
Let's remember Cy Thao's quote, essentially saying that the GOP wouldn't get a single bill passed unless it was pre-approved by the DFL leadership:
I just got off the phone with Steve Gottwalt, who had some shocking news from the Capitol. Today, at a committee hearing, Cy Thao told Steve "When you guys win, you get to keep your money. When we win, we take your money." This was Thao's explanation as to how the DFL plans on paying for all the spending increases they promised their special interest friends.Suffice it to say that that didn't create a reservoir of bipartisan goodwill, either.
I'm betting that the DFL will kick themselves for ramrodding so many things through initially. They'll look back & see what I saw then: that they were dramatically overplaying their hand & misreading their 'mandate'. They'll likely figure out that Tony Sertich likely cost them several overrides of Gov. Pawlenty's vetoes.
It's a bizarre world when you realize that Sertich's obnoxious behavior helped bring about GOP cohesion in the House.
Posted Tuesday, May 15, 2007 10:11 AM
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Blame It On Bush, Part VII
The Dow Jones Industrials rocketed past the 13,400 mark for the first time in history, propelled mostly by lower than expected inflation.
Investors were encouraged to extend the market's months-long rally after the Labor Department reported prices paid by consumers rose less than expected in April, and indicated that inflation may be easing as the economy continues to cool. The consumer price index rose 0.4 percent after rising 0.6 percent in March, while core prices, which exclude food and energy, rose 0.2 percent after a 0.1 percent gain.Let's affix blame for this booming stock market on the Bush administration. They've obviously done their job of making the wealthy wealthier.
"It's certainly a good reaction to a lower-than-expected headline inflation number and that gives the Fed some will room if it needs to cut rates," said Nick Raich director of research at National City Private Client Group, referring to the Federal Reserve's next move on short-term interest rates.
Wall Street bounded higher Tuesday, propelling the Dow Jones industrials past 13,400 for the first time, after mild inflation figures raised hopes the Federal Reserve might cut interest rates later this year.Let's hope that the Fed starts cutting interest rates. With inflation abating, the biggest worry should be on keeping the economy growing.
Posted Tuesday, May 15, 2007 10:10 AM
Comment 1 by dulles at 15-May-07 10:40 AM
"Let's affix blame for this booming stock market on the Bush administration. They've obviously done their job of making the wealthy wealthier."
Wait ... THAT'S the President's job?
It's the Recklessness, Stupid
Steve Sviggum uses his op-ed in this morning's Strib to give the DFL a thorough tongue-lashing. Here's a healthy portion of that tongue-lashing:
The House and Senate Democrats are presenting false choices, and these choices are fueling the fire for their big tax increase proposals.The reality is that this is a hearty sampling of the DFL's fiscal recklessness. I'd add that this type of spending binge is unprecedented in recent history. Furthermore, this type of reckless spending isn't sustainable. Worse, it requires such monstrous tax increases as to throw Minnesota's economy into a deep recession. What's worse than that is that those tax increases will drive businesses & employees from the state.
Consider the Democrats' budget that increases funding for the Legislature itself by 19.7 percent. Of course, this is needed because as their first act of the 2007 session, the Democrats approved huge lawmaker per diem and housing increases.
Consider the Democrats' proposal to give $2 million in "padding" to the Metropolitan Council for transit wants.
Consider that Democrats are proposing an increase of 106 percent -- yes, 106 percent -- in child care subsidies, making Minnesota the national leader in this area by a country mile.
Consider that the Democrats want to undo effective welfare limitations that will cost Minnesota $26 million in fines because we would no longer conform to federal guidelines.
Consider that Democrats have proposed a 21.8 percent increase in health and human services spending. That number jumps to a 40 percent increase during our next budget cycle. It's just not sustainable without raising taxes.
Consider that the Democrats want to use $164 million in cash for "bonding" proposals in their capital investment bill, and that they proposed spending five times more than Gov. Tim Pawlenty recommended.
Consider that Democrats wanted $3.4 million of Minnesota's taxpayer dollars to be spent for nonresident, noncitizen (illegal) tuition at colleges so these students may attend at in-state tuition rates.
In other words, the DFL's spending decisions will have a disastrous effect on our short-term economy & the DFL's policies will cripple the long-term health of our economy.
House Republicans have attempted to live within these means. We tried to give our schools their needed funding increases and provide a 15 percent reduction in state property taxes by using some of the $3 billion available to us this session. But our attempts at fiscal responsibility were shot down basically on a party-line vote.This all goes back to a question that King & I have. When you ask a DFLer how much is enough, they'll reflexively answer "more." Despite our best efforts to get a definitive answer, we still don't know how much money equals enough. I suspect that the definition of enough is whatever their lobbyists say is enough.
Frankly, that should frustrate every taxpayer in Minnesota. Since when did giving into a lobbyist's demands equal good policy? Why shouldn't the taxpayers' needs come first? In fact, I don't know why substantial property tax relief & substantial funding increases in education isn't the DFL's goal.
Why are we eliminating the welfare reforms of the 1990's? Don't they care that we'll pay substantial fines for not complying with federal guidelines? Why should Minnesota taxpayers cough up $3.4 million to subsidize college tuition to illegal immigrants? Doesn't the DFL care about the law?
Minnesota can and should balance its budget without increasing tax burdens, while providing significant property tax reform and education investments. But will this new legislative majority have the courage to pull it off?The DFL majority doesn't have the will to live within its means. They're gaining the reputation as the most irresponsible legislature in state history. They weren't just given that reputation. They earned that reputation.
Isn't it time to 'reward' them with a flood of early retirements in 2008?
Posted Tuesday, May 15, 2007 11:47 AM
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They're All Hype
That's the only conclusion that you can reach after reading this CQ article. Pelosi's Democrats swept into office with great fanfare. Now they're being compared to worst congresses in US history. In that respect, they have much in common with our DFL-dominated legislature here in Minnesota. Let's see what CQ says about Nancy's Nincompoops:
The office of Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., released a statement last week with 14 bullet points of legislative accomplishments. The accomplishments, though, were weighted toward bills passed by the House but not enacted into law.WOW!!! The American people must be impressed. Nancy's Nincompoops have a substantial majority in the House and they've gotten 14 minor bills passed. Conservatives should thank Pelosi's troops for being as inept as they are. If they knew what they were doing, they'd likely have caused genuine trouble. As it is, they've only damaged their own reputation.
So far this year, the Senate has taken 162 roll call votes, compared with 119 at this time last year and 121 through mid-May of 2005, when Republicans were in charge. The current Senate is on pace to hold as many votes as the chamber did in 1995. At this point in 1995, the newly minted Republican Senate had held 164 roll call votes.That's a pathetic performance for a newly minted Congress. They've done almost nothing worth giving a second thought about. Like I predicted, the Democrats are a bunch of bumbling idiots whose agenda can be summed up this way: They have what President Bush is for & they're for everything that President Bush is opposed to.
Through May 11, the House had held 341 votes, more than double the number of votes held last year at this point. At this point in 1995, under Speaker Newt Gingrich, the House had taken 326 roll call votes. "When you look at previous Congresses, I think we're doing okay," said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., a member of the freshmen class that helped Democrats assume power.
However, that flurry of voting has produced only 26 public laws, 12 of which changed the name of a federal building, post office or national recreation area. Others changed the makeup of the House Page Board (PL 110-2); reauthorized the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy (PL 110-21); extended small-business programs (PL 110-4); and endorsed the expansion of NATO (PL 110-17).
"So far they've only delivered messages, not legislation," said Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, R-N.C. "They've got to deliver something for their activists and donors." He cited the immigration legislation and a reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind law (PL 107-110) as the Democrats' best hope.
That isn't the mark of a Congress with real leadership. That's the mark of a bunch of idiots with too much power.
Posted Tuesday, May 15, 2007 12:54 PM
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Jerry Falwell, RIP
Jerry Falwell was found dead in his office this morning. He was 73.
The Rev. Jerry Falwell, who founded the Moral Majority and built the religious right into a political force, died Tuesday shortly after being found unconscious in his office at Liberty University, a school executive said. He was 73.If there is anything that can be said about Jerry Falwell, it's that he had a lasting impact on people. As this article shows, he certainly had an impact on this nation's politics. Unfortunately, some will insist that that's his biggest impact. The truth is that Jerry Falwell had a far greater impact as an evangelist & as an educator.
Ron Godwin, the university's executive vice president, said Falwell, 73, was found unresponsive around 10:45 a.m. and taken to Lynchburg General Hospital. "CPR efforts were unsuccessful," he said.
Godwin said he was not sure what caused the collapse, but he said Falwell "has a history of heart challenges. I had breakfast with him, and he was fine at breakfast," Godwin said. "He went to his office, I went to mine, and they found him unresponsive."
I have several friends who sent their children to Liberty University. These friends say that their children got a quality education, far better than they'd likely have received in public universities. Knowing these young men & women like I do, I'd heartily agree.
Rev. Falwell's pastoral and preaching skills were substantial, too. Falwell had a reputation in the secular press as being intolerant, a characterization I can't concur with. I'll agree that Rev. Falwell knew what he believed in, that he knew why he believed in Christ's Gospel, but that he was always willing to reach out to those he sensed were hurting, in need of a friend or who simply needed someone to talk with.
It would be a mistake to say that he was as prolific an evangelist as Billy Graham but it would be equally wrong to think that he didn't effectively convey the Gospel message of salvation.
As I look back at the way that Jerry Falwell lived life, many is the time that his detractors mischaracterized him. To be fair, that was easy to do if you just read the headlines. But to be true to who he really was, we need to look at all that he involved himself with, the lives that he touched & the impact that he had on friends, students, parishioners and fellow pastors.
Posted Tuesday, May 15, 2007 1:24 PM
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Nancy's Bad Day Gets Worse
You'd think that Nancy Pelosi's day couldn't get worse after CQ's scathing appraisal of Congress but you'd be wrong. Pelosi's day must've gotten worse after reading this Gallup Poll. Here's the bad news from Gallup:
PRINCETON, NJ -- A new Gallup Poll finds continued low levels of public support for both Congress and President George W. Bush. Twenty-nine percent of Americans approve of Congress, down slightly from last month's reading (33%) and this year's high point of 37%, while Bush's approval rating is holding steady at 33%. Both the ratings of Congress and the president are slightly lower than their respective 2007 averages. Approval ratings of Congress are higher among Democrats than Republicans, while Bush's ratings are much higher among Republicans.As a poll studier, I know that this is awful news for Nancy's Nincompoops. First of all, this poll was taken over the weekend, when more Democrats are home. That means that this is theoretically the best time to poll for Democrats. It's obvious that this isn't a banner day for Ms. Pelosi or for her minions.
Congressional Job Approval
According to the May 10-13, 2007, Gallup Poll, 29% of Americans approve and 64% disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job. Congressional approval is down 4 percentage points since last month, and is 3 points lower than the 32% average measured during the first five months of the year. The high point for the congressional approval rating so far this year was the 37% approval measured in February. Although ratings are quite low, Americans have been more positive in their assessments of Congress this year than last year, when an average of just 25% approved of Congress.
Frankly, this approval rating was just a matter of time. Democrats swept into office promising lobbying reforms, cleaning up the Republicans' 'Culture of Corruption' and setting a new course in Iraq, albeit by continuing to fund the war. They haven't funded the troops. Lobbying reform has stalled. The only culture of corruption that hasn't been cleaned up is the Democrats' ethical woes. On top of all that, they haven't done anything in terms of either extending President Bush's tax cuts, something that's popular with voters.
The bottom line is that Democrats have failed after promising big improvements. Welcome to the bigs, Nancy.
Posted Tuesday, May 15, 2007 3:09 PM
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