Granholm proposes more tax increases

Granholm proposes more tax increases
"It also would reduce an increase in a tax credit for the working poor, increase liquor license fees, expand the 6 percent sales tax to live entertainment, service contracts and vending machine sales, raise the cigarette tax rate to $2.25 a pack, among other changes.
.......“I’m not in favor of new taxes. We don’t need a tax increase. People in the state are having trouble paying their bills,” Granholm said to reporters during a visit to Compact Power."

The convenient fantasies of President Obama

The convenient fantasies of President Obama
"Another interesting thing about Jones is that the administration seems enamored of his "green jobs" concept. There's an understandable political reason. Legislation to restrict carbon emissions that is supported by the administration would undoubtedly kill a large number of jobs by increasing the cost of energy, and so you can see why its advocates might want to argue that there will be a compensating number of "green jobs" created -- at least if the government spends a lot of money on them.
But this sounds like fantasy.
If there were money to be made in green jobs, private investors would be creating them already. In fact big corporations like General Electric are scrambling to position themselves as green companies, gaming legislation and regulations so they can make profits by doing so. Big business is ready to create green jobs -- if government subsidizes them. But the idea that green jobs will replace all the lost carbon-emitting jobs is magical thinking."

That so many Americans believe that "green jobs" are anything other than more government pork-jobs is a sad commentary on our educational system.

Times Reporter Is Freed in Afghan Raid That Kills Aide - NYTimes.com

Times Reporter Is Freed in Afghan Raid That Kills Aide
NYTimes.com:
"Stephen Farrell, a New York Times reporter held captive by militants in northern Afghanistan, was freed in a military commando raid early Wednesday, but his Afghan interpreter was killed during the rescue effort.
A British commando was also killed in the raid,"

A few of thoughts:
1. I don't think a single soldier should EVER be in harm's way because of a reporter's foolish decisions.
That a brave young man has died to rescue a fool is a travesty.
2. Note the NYT headline omits the death of the brave soldier. Note also the way the commando's death was merely a footnote in their article.
An inconvenience not worthy of detracting from their joyous glee. How sick!
3. And this: "Until now, the kidnapping had been kept quiet by The Times and most other news organizations out of concern for the men’s safety."
The media has no problem keeping "quiet" when one of their own is at risk.
Too bad the reality is the opposite when our troops are at risk.

Protest over Wyoming's Cheney center -msnbc.com

Protest over Wyoming's Cheney center
"The center is funded in part with $3.2 million the Cheneys donated to the university in several installments while he was vice president.
The university's decision to name the center after Cheney, a former Wyoming congressman, prompted a petition that collected more than 150 signatures."

150 signatures?
And MSNBC considers that news?
Let's see the 24/7 coverage of "protest" dudes!

Go ahead, make Dick's day!

Cartoon predicts the future 50 years ago. This is amazing insight!

School districts preparing to give swine flu vaccine

School districts preparing to give swine flu vaccine
"Administration of the vaccine in schools will be a challenge because the vaccine needs to be given to children in two doses at least three weeks apart.
That means records will have to be kept on who has received vaccinations and when. Schools also will need to keep track of parental permission forms."

A few dirty little secrets our great leaders won't tell us:
1. The vaccine isn't harmless. It has many, possibly deadly, side affects.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1206807/Swine-flu-jab-link-killer-nerve-disease-Leaked-letter-reveals-concern-neurologists-25-deaths-America.html

2. The CDC controls how much vaccine (and what type) is produced. Its past projections have been as accurate as those perky hurricane "experts" from .... oh yeah, the US government. http://www.forbes.com/feeds/reuters/2009/08/17/2009-08-17T173830Z_01_N17426251_RTRIDST_0_FLU-VACCINES-USA.html

3. Doesn't anyone remember Jerry Ford's swine flu disaster?
http://www.capitalcentury.com/1976.html

1976: The swine flu scare

1976: The swine flu scare
"Thus was born what would become known to some medical historians as a fiasco and to others as perhaps the finest hour of America's public health bureaucracy.....

Only young Lewis died from the swine flu itself in 1976. But as the critics are quick to point out, hundreds of Americans were killed or seriously injured by the inoculation the government gave them to stave off the virus.

According to his sister-in-law, John Kent of President Avenue in Lawrence went to his grave in 1997 believing the shot from the government had killed his first wife, Mary, long before her time.

"One doc later told the authors of 'The Epidemic that Never Was' that he and others in on the meetings realized there was 'nothing in this for the CDC except trouble,' especially because a decision had to be made fast to get the immunizations manufactured by the fall."

"Fast decisions".
By politicians....... yeah right... and how did it work out for Jerry Ford's guinea pigs?

U.S. slashes swine flu vaccine estimate

U.S. slashes swine flu vaccine estimate
"U.S. officials Monday said they had slashed their estimate of how many swine flu vaccine doses will be available for the start of a mass vaccination campaign in the fall.
Citing delays in manufacturing and packaging the vaccines, the Department of Health and Human Services said only 45 million doses of the new H1N1 vaccine would be on hand in mid-October, instead of the 120 million previously forecast."

This is government run health care, folks!

Hoekstra criticizes Obama administration for rejecting request to investigate Guantanamo Bay

Hoekstra criticizes Obama administration for rejecting request to investigate Guantanamo Bay
"Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, says President Obama's administration has 'slammed the door in the face of everyone who wants to know more' about plans to close down the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and possibly send those detainees to a prison in Michigan."

No other country in the world is willing to take these monsters and Barry O is gonna force them on Michigan against our will?
At least BHussein is consistent in his obfuscation.

Taxpayers face heavy losses on auto bailout

Taxpayers face heavy losses on auto bailout
"Taxpayers face losses on a significant portion of the $81 billion in government aid provided to the auto industry, an oversight panel said in a report to be released Wednesday.
The Congressional Oversight Panel did not provide an estimate of the projected loss in its latest monthly report on the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program. But it said most of the $23 billion initially provided to General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC late last year is unlikely to be repaid."

That's cuz the unions took ALL the money!

Passengers face new tax to halt rise in air travel

Passengers face new tax to halt rise in air travel
"Tens of billions of pounds will have to be raised through flight taxes to compensate developing countries for the damage air travel does to the environment, according to the Government’s advisory body on climate change.
Ticket prices should rise steadily over time to deter air travel and ensure that carbon dioxide emissions from aviation fall back to 2005 levels"

And who will manage those $billions intended to compensate "developing countries"?
And just which "developing countries" will get this bonanza from the euro-weenies?

Sun-Caused Warming

Sun-Caused Warming
"The Aug. 28 issue of the journal Science details how the scientific team led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), using a century's worth of data and three powerful computer models, figured out just how small changes in solar activity can trigger great changes in earth's climate"

The Sorry Tale of America’s Out-of-control Spending

Debt Be Not Proud: The Sorry Tale of America’s Out-of-control Spending
"At the end of fiscal 2008, which came on September 30 of last year, the American national debt stood at $9.6 trillion.
That sum is, perhaps, quite beyond the imagining of most people.
It is, after all, 250 million times the average per capita income.
Even the total fortunes of the entire Forbes 400 list add up to less than 15 percent of it.
To use a journalistic measure that dates back to the late 18th century—when the British national debt had become a major political issue in that country—if you laid 9.6 trillion silver dollars end to end, they would reach to the sun and back, with enough left over to wrap around the Earth more than 1,700 times."

83% Say Proof of Citizenship Should Be Required to Get Government Health Aid - Rasmussen Reports™

83% Say Proof of Citizenship Should Be Required to Get Government Health Aid - Rasmussen Reports™: "The health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats contains many controversial items that divide the general public. However, one area of consensus among the public is the desire to restrict government health care benefits to U.S. citizens only.
Eighty-three percent (83%) of voters nationwide say that people should be required to prove they are a citizen of the United States before receiving government health care subsidies. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 12% disagree and five percent (5%) are not sure."

CARPE DIEM: College Tuition 2009-2010

CARPE DIEM:
College Tuition 2009-2010:

Brown Tuition, room and board, and all fees: $51,476

Cornell Tuition, and room and board (non-resident): $50,114

Yale Tuition, and room and board: $47,500

Pennsylvania: Tuition, room and board, books, personal: $53,250

Mott Community College: Tuition $2,743.50"

Business groups argue against Mich. tax increases

Business groups argue against Mich. tax increases
"Organizations representing Michigan's business community are urging lawmakers to solve the state's budget crisis without raising taxes.
Michigan faces a projected budget shortfall of at least $2.7 billion for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1. Money from the federal stimulus package won't erase the entire deficit.
The Michigan Chamber of Commerce and affiliated groups scheduled press conferences across the state Tuesday to say government should cut spending and become more efficient rather than raise taxes.
A coalition of social service, education and labor groups wants the state to raise taxes to avoid cutting services. The coalition advocates expanding the sales tax to nonessential services, switching to a graduated income tax and ending some tax exemptions."

Going down: Detroit isn't the only Michigan city on the fiscal skids - MLive.com

Going down: Detroit isn't the only Michigan city on the fiscal skids
"Below the radar of a lot of people, though, is another layer of trouble that is only now becoming apparent, and is only going to get worse, experts say.
We're talking about local units of government -- counties, cities, townships and school districts across the state that are facing the harsh reality of severe budget cuts as the result of the housing market collapse.
'People believe it can't get worse, but we haven't even seen the worse yet,' says Bob Daddow, deputy county executive for Oakland County.
His is just one voice among many sounding the alarm over the dark fiscal times ahead for many officials"

Here's his video from 2008!
http://muskegonpundit.blogspot.com/2008/10/perfect-storm-economic-presentation.html

The amazing fact is this isn't "new" news.
It's been out there for years.
Gotta love the MSM!

Will we NEVER learn?

Senate must raise debt ceiling above $12T

Senate must raise debt ceiling above $12T
“The Senate must move legislation to raise the federal debt limit beyond $12.1 trillion by mid-October, a move viewed as necessary despite protests about the record levels of red ink.
The move will highlight the nation’s record debt, which has been central to Republican attacks against Democratic congressional leaders and President Barack Obama. The year’s deficit is expected to hit a record $1.6 trillion.”
So what happens if they don’t? After all, Obama voted against raising the debt limit when he was in the Senate"

When Bush spoke to students, Democrats investigated, held hearings

When Bush spoke to students, Democrats investigated, held hearings
"when President George H.W. Bush delivered a similar speech on October 1, 1991, from Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington DC, the controversy was just beginning. Democrats, then the majority party in Congress, not only denounced Bush's speech -- they also ordered the General Accounting Office to investigate its production and later summoned top Bush administration officials to Capitol Hill for an extensive hearing on the issue."

So who is Ron Bloom

So who is Ron Bloom
"Former SEIU principal Ron Bloom becomes the Obama 'Manufacturing Czar.'
Jake Tapper reported this on Sunday:
In Cincinnati tomorrow, President Obama will announce that he's appointing Ron Bloom his Senior Counselor for Manufacturing Policy, White House sources tell ABC News.

Bloom is currently Senior Advisor to Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner as a member of the President’s Task Force on the Automotive Industry, named to that position in February. He will remain in that position even while he takes on his new task.

So who is Ron Bloom?
Jammie Wearing Fool has this:
The name Ron Bloom is one that we need to start paying attention to. He has a long history of being the negotiating face of unions in a suit. He is a Harvard Business School graduate who has worked for the unions beginning with SEIU for decades. The most recent union he represented was the United Steel Workers (USW) before becoming a part of the automotive team that Obama put together. You know the one that had the head Steven Rattner having to resign over some questions about his personal finances mixed in with a little fraudulent money gifts.Rattner was replaced by Ron Bloom, and voila the United Auto Workers (UAW), got a sweetheart deal backed up by the power of the federal government to try and stave off bankruptcy.
This is just further proof that Barack Obama knows nothing about economics but is an expert on radicalism."

EU warns on proposed US travel fees - Yahoo! News

EU warns on proposed US travel fees
The European Union is strongly criticizing a congressional proposal to charge a $10 fee to some visitors to the United States and suggesting it may carry a price for U.S. travelers.
If it passes, the EU says, some U.S. travelers to Europe could face retaliation.
The fee now under consideration in Congress would finance a new U.S. program to promote travel, a burden that the EU believes Americans should bear."

Porker of the month

Porker of the month
"Rep. Abercrombie’s latest outrage is to slip a provision (Sec. 2833) into the House version of the 2010 Defense Authorization Act that would double the construction costs of relocating 11,600 U.S. troops from Japan to Guam.
The original cost estimate was $15 billion, $10 billion of which is associated with construction of living quarters for military personnel and their families.
However, Sec. 2833 requires that the wages paid to construction workers match the “prevailing” wages in Hawaii, which are 250 percent higher than those on Guam. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this “would increase the need for discretionary appropriations by about $10 billion over the 2010-2014 period.”"

French healthcare is 'badly run'

French healthcare is 'badly run'
"France must make big changes to its health system in order to cut waste and increase efficiency, a government-commissioned report is warning."

A day—and a death—to remember

A day—and a death—to remember
"On June 25, Michael Jackson’s death dominated the headlines.
It was a sad day for his family, friends and fans.
But another death went nearly unnoticed.
Lt. Brian Bradshaw was killed by an explosive device in Afghanistan.
Bradshaw didn’t make headlines around the world.
But nearly everyone in his hometown came out to mourn.
Martha Gillis is Bradshaw’s aunt.
She’s worried that a soldier’s death is often invisible to the public.
She hopes his nation will remember him."

The Founding Fathers Could Never Have Foreseen Obama

The Founding Fathers Could Never Have Foreseen Obama
"Now that the majority of Americans are finally realizing what kind of a Dufus they’ve elected to the Presidency, and those who know it but will NEVER admit they know it, what happens in the next three and a half years?

How can the world deal with a LAME DUCK Presidency just six months into office?

Everything this President has touched has turned into crap.

In less than 6 months he’s spent more money than ALL PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS COMBINED from the time of George W Washington, indebting the USA to the tune of TRILLIONS of dollars and still counting."

David Sirota: Glenn Beck Is A 'Right-Wing Political Terrorist'; Van Jones Is 'A National Hero' | NewsBusters.org

David Sirota: Glenn Beck Is A 'Right-Wing Political Terrorist'; Van Jones Is 'A National Hero'
"what I think what's going on here is that the White House is listening to the right-wing's political terrorists, people like Glenn Beck, people like conservative activists who have targeted Van Jones because Van Jones is an African-American"

Whitehall wants $22 million bond issue

White Lake Beacon
"Whitehall District Schools is once again investigating the possibility of going to voters with a bond vote for facility improvements.
Last May voters decidedly defeated a $22 million bond issue. "

Be afraid...very afraid!

Largest U.S. brewers say beer prices will take a hop up

Largest U.S. brewers say beer prices will take a hop up
"Drink up! Beer prices are going up.
The two largest U.S. beer sellers say they plan to raise prices,"

Jobless press benefit extension

Jobless press benefit extension
"Since June 2008, Congress has extended jobless benefits three times.
Unemployed workers initially qualify for up to 26 weeks.
But with the extensions, Michiganians are eligible for 79 weeks of benefits -- or 1 1/2 years.
The proposed extension would boost the number of weeks to 92 -- a year and nine months."

Because of high unemployment, Michigan's unemployment insurance trust fund -- which is paid for by a tax on employers laying off workers -- is depleted, forcing the state to borrow $2 billion from the federal government

Detroit takeover viewed as last resort

Detroit takeover viewed as last resort
"With increasing frequency, Mayor Dave Bing has raised the threat of receivership and warned the appointment of an emergency financial manager and even bankruptcy are possible for Detroit as he struggles to control the city's finances"