now I am no expert on the Constitution, but for some reason I kind of thought that it was Congress's job to... oh, I don't know... run the country?
So why is Congress spending our tax dollars and their limited time holding congressional hearings whether or not a a baseball player took performance-enhancing drugs.
I mean, wouldn't that be more of a Justice Department inquiry instead of Congress?
I was really shocked the other morning when I was listening to Glenn Beck when he mentioned that one of the sponsors, Gold line international was being called before a congressional hearing.
Isn't that what just about every candidate says to get elected?
like I said... I'm not an expert on every government function, but on the surface it just seems that there are a lot of things that Congress is having hearings about that really should be left to the lower courts.
Chris Dudley and the 20 point plan to create jobs [sounds like a Disney movie]
The short story is, Chris Dudley would like to cut capital gains taxes, give businesses tax credits for hiring unemployed, promote the state's natural resources and overhaul schools and universities.
Sounds good doesn't it?
Well it's the same old bullshit that we've been hearing every election.
Now to be honest, given the choice between John Kitzhaber and Chris Dudley, I'll take Chris Dudley.
Either way, the governor is only just a small part of the problem.
Here is my suggestion for how to get the economy back on its feet...
#1 -- lower taxes. For the government, it will be painful at first. They'll cry and moan and threatened to cut essential services and tell you that, "it's for the children" however, if you make it less expensive for businesses to operate and place more money in the consumer's hands, the end result would be more money flowing in the system and therefore generating more government revenue. E.g. simple economics.
#2 -- freeze school funding at current levels. Schools will NEVER have enough money. So if you freeze the funding at the current levels and tell them to live within the budget, which they would be easily able to do if they know that they have a stable income source.
#3 -- PRIORITIZE -- we have to make a decision, especially in a RECESSION, what is more important to the infrastructure. Going out and spending enormous amounts of money on Art and other feel-good projects when our streets are falling apart and we are cutting essential services such as police and fire? They tell you that it's all in the budget, or required by the city charter. BS. It is still right pocket, left pocket, it's all the same pair of pants. The feel-good projects can wait until we financially recover.
I don't run my household that way. We are running on a very reduced budget and sure, it would be nice to be able to go to the movies or eat out once in a while. But we don't. sure, I can say that I could budget entertainment all I want... but the reality is, we prioritize our spending. For example, we are saving every penny just so we can pay property taxes this year.
#4 -- IT'S NOW UP TO US -- we need to NOT reelect any incumbents, even if you like them and think they are doing a good job. Reelect them next time. This is the only time that we can really send a message that we are fed up with the status quo.
Because for all the BS that they say to get elected... (remember, they'll say anything to get reelected) this is REALLY the ONLY time that they really care about our opinion.
And if we don't act now, if we don't send a message, I predict that we are going to be in worse shape than we are now.
One final thing I want to mention...
EVERY REPRESENTATIVE WHO DID NOT READ THE BILLS BEFORE SIGNING DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE REELECTED.
The attitude such as Nancy Pelosi's who feels that "we need to pass the bill so that we can find out what's in it" is DEFINITELY the wrong attitude. That would be like going and buying a house and signing your mortgage contract without reading it and then being surprised about how much the payments are.
Most people that I know would not do that. They would read the contract first before signing.
We should not expect any less from our representatives.
under DOT phase 2 plan,effective October 1, 2010 -- for trucks weighing 80,000 pounds, the weight mile taxes will increase 24.5% going from 13.16 cents per mile to 16.3 eight cents per mile.
Certain carriers may elect to pay an annual flat rate fee for reach 100 pounds of declared combined weight of of $7.59 up from $6.10.
and according to the natural resource report phase 3 adds another 25% hike on January 1, 2011 raising both fueling gas taxes about seven cents per gallon at the pump.
Oregon Department of Transportation website says that this bill is "estimated to create thousands of jobs in the next 10 years and sustain the momentum of previous funding bills known as the Oregon transportation investment act."
yes, like the way measures 66 & 67 were supposed to be the cure-all for schools...
Except they miscalculated one little minor detail...
There are so many businesses and individuals that are leaving the state... that there was not enough "sources of revenue" to generate the money that the estimated.
so why should I care if the price for operating a truck goes up?
I can tell you from my own experience that operating a commercial vehicle is not cheap. With the new regulations from the FMCSA and CSA 2010, including new "green" emissions regulations, has already forced numerous companies out of business.
The larger companies that can afford to hang on, are simply going to pass along the increased fees to the consumer.
I tell you, whoever it is that thinks that curing the recession and creating jobs by raising taxes is a complete idiot.
Our hearts go out to those men and women, the heroes and the victims of the terrorist attacks.
And I don't know what they're teaching in school these days regarding this event nine years ago, I would be very interested in your comments if you have school-age children and how the information of this event is being presented. Are they actually showing the videos and exactly what happened such as they are doing this weekend on the history Channel or is it some watered-down version.
I'd be very curious to know.
because I don't want to ever have somebody tell me like one of my coworkers told me regarding Labor Day, "why should I care? How does it affect me?"
the topic of my show this week was a tribute to this day. archives of the show are available to download any time at the above link.
I talk here on this blog a lot about illegal immigration and securing our borders. Remembering this day, the ninth anniversary of 9/11, should remind people just how important border security really is.
Not only just keeping the large number of invaders out, but how easy it is that a large number of ARMED invaders could come in and devastate this country.
and we would be powerless to stop them before they could do large amounts of damage.
I'm asking people to take a moment to stop for a minute and remember this day, think about what happened and what might have happened.
former Portland trailblazer's now candidate for governor Chris Dudley acknowledges that in 1993 to 1997 he lived in Camas, Washington to avoid paying Oregon taxes, since Oregon has the highest personal income tax in the nation.
of course the Democrats are hammering Dudley over his actions.
" His choice impacted the education and public safety of the Oregonians who paid to watch him play basketball,” said Janet Van Wess, a Hillsboro teacher who spoke at the event. [and that has what to do with this? plus, if you follow that logic... then forget about ducks games.]
The DPO also estimates that Dudley may have shielded millions in income by claiming Washington residency."
Kitzhaber released a TV commercial last week stating Dudley " has never managed anything, never tried to create jobs, and never shown much interest in Oregon because [he] lived in Washington to avoid paying Oregon taxes."
I think the fact that Chris Dudley went to Washington to avoid paying taxes in Oregon shows that he personally is well aware of Oregon's high tax issues and that should be considered a positive thing.
Versus others who have their head in the sand and think that taxes are the answer to Oregon's economic issues.
The other day, I was listing to Coast to Coast AM and George Norrie's guest [unfortunately I cannot remember his name] was talking about what we could really do to send a message to our representatives that we are tired of the political games that they are playing in Washington and at home.
He said that the best way to send the message would be to vote all the incumbents out.
Every last one of them.
Even if you really like them and think that they are doing a really good job, still vote them out and you can reelect them again next time.
I got to thinking about the idea, and the more that I think about it and listen to the political commercials, and all the BS that they are spilling thinking that in this day and age of computers and blogs, that we have really short memories...
The more I really like the idea.
So that makes it a lot easier when it comes time to cast your ballot.
If they are an incumbent... don't vote for them.
Just that easy.
I mean think about it folks, the only way that they even care what we think is when it comes time for elections.
They have proven that they will say and do anything to get reelected and once elected; it's business as usual.
Don't forget... it's these representatives that are taking away your tax refund in 2014, the ones who voted in favor of the "comprehensive" health care reform.
So let's really send them a message this November, one that they would be talking about for a very long time.
And the Department of Energy wants to make these illegal?
You guessed it.
The multiple showerhead.
In fact, there are so evil that the Department of Energy's general counsel, Scott Blake Harris, fine four showerhead makers $165,104 in civil penalties for not complying with the 2.5 gallon maximum per minute regulations.
The new regulations affect most multiple head showers to include handheld sprayers and even a type of showerheads used in the school's locker room.
while I will agree that the "non-water saving" showerheads, do waste water, it is almost impossible to get all the shampoo out of your hair with those dribbles style shower heads.
When you think about it, a shower in general waste water unless you can find some way of recirculating the water in the shower which I think would have its advantages and disadvantages.
Oh yes, and regarding the showerhead as described above... I would love to be in a position where I could afford a showerhead like that...
But I'll just have to settle for my $15 Wal-Mart special.
The health-care reform act otherwise known as "Obama care" which forces Americans to buy health care insurance or pay a penalty was voted in with the help of Ron Wyden,Blumenauer, DeFazio and Schrader.
Now, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden says he would like Oregon to opt out of the federal mandated healthcare.
"They [the states]can go off and do their own thing," said Ron Wyden in a telephone interview. -- the Oregonian
the power of the vote. I believe that Ron Wyden's flip-flop on the health-care issue which he contributed and probably did not read...
["Read the bill... read the bill... why read the bill, its 2000 pages long..."]
was due to the anger from the voters regarding this issue and now he wants to opt out of the federal plan?
I feel that part of the problem stems that when you have high ranking government officials such as Nancy Pelosi who believe that "... we have to pass the bill so that you could find out what's in it" is a horrible and dangerous method of running the country.
In my opinion, it just reinforces just how out of touch our government is.
While the universal healthcare in some respects may have good intentions...
I have to ask the question that don't you think that the American people would purchase health care on their own without legislation forcing them to do so if we could actually afford it?
just remember this folks when it comes November that maybe it's time to "opt out" a few incumbents and send a message that we are tired of their games..
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit filed on behalf of Zainul Singaporewalla, a U.S. permanent resident who applied for a math teaching position at Glendale Community College stating that the network of community colleges are acting illegally by requiring noncitizens to provide their green cards before they could be hired for work.
[you know that annoying little I-9 form that we are all required to fill out to prove that we have the RIGHT to work in the United States]
The suit against the Phoenix-area Maricopa Community Colleges claiming that the colleges discriminated against nearly 250 non-citizen applicants because they had to provide more documents than required by law to prove their eligibility to work.
"That violated the federal Immigration and Nationality Act," Justice officials said. The law's antidiscrimination provision "makes it unlawful to treat authorized workers differently during the hiring process based on their citizenship status," said Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for Justice's Civil Rights Division. He said the government "is acting now to remedy this pattern or practice of discrimination."
Singaporewalla after filling out the federal I-9 form and presenting a drivers license and Social Security card, was also asked to produce more documentation including his green card, which he did not have.
remember a drivers license in some states is not proof of citizenship and unless you have an original Social Security card, that also is not proof of citizenship.
The government is asking a judge to order the Maricopa colleges to pay an $1100 civil penalty for each of the 247 non-US citizen job applicants.
according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services , the definition of a permanent resident "is someone who has been granted authorization to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis. As proof of that status, a person is granted a permanent resident card, commonly called a [green card]"
A couple questions arise, if Singaporewalla is a permanent resident, then he should have been given a green card to prove that, and therefore that verifies that he has the right to work within the United States.
While the law does state that it is unlawful to treat authorized workers differently based on their citizenship status, which is the point that had to be proved by a valid and appropriate documentation.
Secondly, Singaporewalla's has to remember being a noncitizen, that he may be required to fill out an extra form or two as compared to other applicants who are US citizens.
In short, if he would've been carrying the required green card in the first place, I don't believe that this would've been an issue.
A student got an a electrocuted in class so severely that his heart stopped is suing the teacher for not warning him of the consequences.
The student, Kyle Dubois [being the brainiac that he is] attached an electrical cord to his nipples and had another student plug-in the cord. [gosh, and guess what happened...]
The lawsuit claims that Dubois suffered permanent brain damage as a result from the incident.
if you ask me, the brain damage happened way before this incident.
But then again, the MTV cartoon show, Beavis & Butthead had to place a disclaimer at the beginning of their shows... "Beavis and Butt-head are not role models. They're not even human, they're cartoons. Some of the things they do could cause a person to get hurt, expelled, arrested, possibly deported. To put it another way: Don't try this at home."Wikipedia
because yes, there were some kids that were trying to mimic some of the things that this cartoon show did.
and it really makes me wonder, because I grew up with Yogi bear... and I never had the urge to steal picnic baskets.
