Obama's 2nd Week, Prop 8, and California's Budget Crisis
I forgot to give a letter grade to Obama’s first week in office, with those horrible executive orders -- D-minus. That’s giving him some benefit for his idea of a honeymoon – schmoozing some Republicans over Super Bowl, etc. But the honeymoon’s over. The Republicans were not consulted in the working mtgs. developing the stimulus package, although a good part of the blame there lies with Pelosi & Reid (Obama could have excercised more leadership). You know it’s not a bipartisan bill when even McCain says it was nowhere near being bipartisan. 3 Republicans went along with it. At least apparently some pork was cut out of it, but still loud complaints (including general opinion polls) over the total price, and ineffective “stimuli.”
Obama seemed much more concerned about getting it fast than getting it right, portraying the situation as worse than anything since the Great Depression – which it objectively is not. But a great excuse for a liberal shopping binge that we’ll be paying off for many years – moreso if it’s ineffective. And where are the stipulations, accountability & incentives for poor-performing institutions to improve (maybe include Congress in that mix)? Bankruptcies would have taken care of that.
And in the 2nd week, 3 more cabinet nominees with tax problems! Obama seems to attract scofflaws like flies. After a wink and nod to the man over the IRS (Geithner), finally some moral outrage was generated at the others, and even Obama had to admit to mistakes. Incredible that the one approved (over IRS) couldn’t figure out Turbo-Tax – what a great example to the IRS and all of us taxpayers! With the “honeymoon” over, with no bipartisanship, a record spending bill, and a string of admittedly poor cabinet nominees, the 2nd week earns an F.
Prop 8 was back in the news, with the Church taking the brunt of various inaccurate media reports that it was devious in under-reporting or delaying reporting of its contributions. For the truth, see http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/church-clarifies-proposition-8-filing-corrects-erroneous-news-reports . On March 5 the Calif. supreme court will be hearing arguments on both sides of prop 8 from a host of organizations -- see
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme/highprofile/prop8.htm .
I understand the California state legislature is seriously considering raising both our already high sales tax (8 3/4% in LA) and state income tax to over 10%. That'll help the already hurting economy (hah!). I heard somewhere that after recent propositions & bills, some 50% of CA revenue goes to education -- would be nice if we had something to show for it. Heard someone the other day touting Utah's greater fiscal responsibility & better education results. Current estimates of illegal population here is at least 10%, and the estimated costs of benefits they get free (we are more generous than federal laws) show that in 4 yrs we put out the equivalent of our current $42 billion shortfall that is causing furloughs, tax refund IOU's, etc. With most of the other states also in trouble, and the economy in general, the whole house of cards is looking pretty precarious.
Obama seemed much more concerned about getting it fast than getting it right, portraying the situation as worse than anything since the Great Depression – which it objectively is not. But a great excuse for a liberal shopping binge that we’ll be paying off for many years – moreso if it’s ineffective. And where are the stipulations, accountability & incentives for poor-performing institutions to improve (maybe include Congress in that mix)? Bankruptcies would have taken care of that.
And in the 2nd week, 3 more cabinet nominees with tax problems! Obama seems to attract scofflaws like flies. After a wink and nod to the man over the IRS (Geithner), finally some moral outrage was generated at the others, and even Obama had to admit to mistakes. Incredible that the one approved (over IRS) couldn’t figure out Turbo-Tax – what a great example to the IRS and all of us taxpayers! With the “honeymoon” over, with no bipartisanship, a record spending bill, and a string of admittedly poor cabinet nominees, the 2nd week earns an F.
Prop 8 was back in the news, with the Church taking the brunt of various inaccurate media reports that it was devious in under-reporting or delaying reporting of its contributions. For the truth, see http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/church-clarifies-proposition-8-filing-corrects-erroneous-news-reports . On March 5 the Calif. supreme court will be hearing arguments on both sides of prop 8 from a host of organizations -- see
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme/highprofile/prop8.htm .
I understand the California state legislature is seriously considering raising both our already high sales tax (8 3/4% in LA) and state income tax to over 10%. That'll help the already hurting economy (hah!). I heard somewhere that after recent propositions & bills, some 50% of CA revenue goes to education -- would be nice if we had something to show for it. Heard someone the other day touting Utah's greater fiscal responsibility & better education results. Current estimates of illegal population here is at least 10%, and the estimated costs of benefits they get free (we are more generous than federal laws) show that in 4 yrs we put out the equivalent of our current $42 billion shortfall that is causing furloughs, tax refund IOU's, etc. With most of the other states also in trouble, and the economy in general, the whole house of cards is looking pretty precarious.
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