So, folks in Georgia, early voting has started (in most places). Hopefully you've considered for whom you will cast a vote. My votes today were as follows:
Governor: This one's a no-brainer. I could vote for King Roy, one of the most power-hungry maniacs ever to serve as an elected official in Georgia (and one who royally fucked teachers). I could vote for Nathan Deal, one of the most corrupt politicians in Congress (and that's saying a LOT!) Or, I could vote my conscience and choose John Monds. Mr. Monds believes in personal freedom, individual liberty, sound fiscal policy, and would be the first effective leader in a long time. He's also the first African-American ever nominated to run for Governor. Vote -- Monds. Vote in runoff -- None of the above, or Monds if he happens to make it. As a Georgia political writer whom I respect greatly put it, "A vote for Deal in 2010 is a vote for Cagle in 2011."
Lt. Governor: Didn't do my homework on this one, but I can't in good conscience cast another vote for Casey "Gun owners should be happy with the little bit of freedom we gave them" Cagle. I voted Libertarian.
Senator: Johnny Isakson is a political weathervane. Whichever way popular opinion blows, that's where he's pointing. Don't forget his votes for key Obama policies. Vote: Chuck Donovan (L). Vote in runoff: Write-in. I can't reelect Johnny.
GA Congressional District 8: In 2008, I cast a vote for Jim Marshall (in a very close election) the day before he voted for TARP. Fool me once, shame on you. Austin Scott all the way. Side note: There wasn't a Libertarian nominee here. I'm guessing because they didn't think they needed one, with Austin Scott running.
All the other races I care very little about: Libertarian all the way. Especially Kira Willis for Superintendent of Schools.
Local races: I didn't vote for either of the candidates for State Court Judge who have littered my streets and highways. I did vote for the one with very few signs. Sometimes signs can backfire -- looking at you here, Jason Ashford and supporters...
Cecil "Censor" Staton is running unopposed. I wrote in Mickey Mouse. He'd do a better job, and wouldn't fire radio personalities for speaking their minds.
Larry O'Neal is also running unopposed. I don't like it when they're able to do this. I wrote in my girlfriend's dad.
On the Amendments to the state Constitution: "NO" to all of them. New debt instruments are bad. New taxes (that's what that $10 license plate "fee" is) are bad. Allowing the state to obligate YOUR MONEY without first appropriating it is bad. Do the math.
On the referendum: YES. Taxes on business are bad. Tax cuts for business are good. You make a business pay less in taxes, they can spend the money they didn't have to pay in taxes to hire another employee, buy more inventory (which they won't be taxed on now!), or enlarge their space. This is how you create jobs. This is smart fiscal policy.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
More on the $40,000 waste in WR
So the question I want answered in the worst way is where will the $40,600 used yearly to line the pockets of the City Council and Mayor come from?
Are they going to cut police salaries? Public safety funding? Infrastructure? City employee salaries? Water? Gas?
Or are they going to raise taxes? This is the most likely explanation, as salary cuts would piss off a bunch of city employees, ALL of whom are registered voters. Tax increases just piss off most folks but can be levied at a time when it's not near an election so they're easily forgotten.
Most people believe that money grows on trees. It does not.
Warner Robins politicians may try to tell you that they can increase their salaries without cutting programs or raising taxes. They can not.
At least they're doing this legitimately and in plain view instead of skimming off the top behind the scenes.
The City Council meets Next Monday (the 20th) at City Hall, at 6:30 pm. I will be there with bells on... please come join me! I hope to be able to ask the above question and possibly speak a little.
Are they going to cut police salaries? Public safety funding? Infrastructure? City employee salaries? Water? Gas?
Or are they going to raise taxes? This is the most likely explanation, as salary cuts would piss off a bunch of city employees, ALL of whom are registered voters. Tax increases just piss off most folks but can be levied at a time when it's not near an election so they're easily forgotten.
Most people believe that money grows on trees. It does not.
Warner Robins politicians may try to tell you that they can increase their salaries without cutting programs or raising taxes. They can not.
At least they're doing this legitimately and in plain view instead of skimming off the top behind the scenes.
The City Council meets Next Monday (the 20th) at City Hall, at 6:30 pm. I will be there with bells on... please come join me! I hope to be able to ask the above question and possibly speak a little.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Local politics
So it seems Mr. Terry Horton, the esteemed (sarcasm) Councilman currently occupying Post 3 of the Warner Robins City Council, who is representing (among others) me, has introduced an ordinance to raise the pay of the Mayor by $25,000 a year (a 25% increase) and his own pay, and that of the other Councilmen, by $1200 a year to a total of $6200. The ordinance will also increase the car allowances for all 7 of them (Councilmen and Mayor) by $1200.
This is a total new expenditure of $40,600.
For reference, an entry-level Warner Robins police officer makes $27,898.80 a year. That same entry-level officer does far more difficult and important work and quite literally puts his or her life on the line every single day he or she goes to work. The most important thing a City Councilman does is... show up to a meeting twice a month. The position of Mayor is, admittedly, a full-time job, but I fail to see how the person holding that job deserves to make nearly FIVE TIMES what his lowest ranking police officer makes. When's the last time the Mayor of Warner Robins served a no-knock warrant?
To make it worse, Mr. Horton is not running for re-election this year. He's leaving the Council. So why does he want to raise their salary?
Furthermore, what justification is there in admittedly difficult economic times to INCREASE government expenses, especially those expenses which have absolutely NO profitable return. $40,600 to raise the benefits of 7 people who sit in a nice, air-conditioned room twice a month is absolutely absurd. If we assume (probably wrongly) that there are 100 entry-level police officers in Warner Robins we could increase their salaries by $406 a year. That money would be spent locally by those officers and would... wait for it... STIMULATE THE ECONOMY. Or maybe we could use the money to improve city infrastructure, say expand the sewer and water service to another subdivision just outside the city limits and annex it, which would... wait for it... INCREASE TAX REVENUE.
But no. A bunch of smelly (OK, probably not, just making that up) old men need more money to sit around and HARRUMPH at each other. Instead of doing something about the problem, let's just throw more money at those in charge of trying to fix it. Wait, isn't that what government is for?
For the record, I'm strongly considering running for Post 1 (At Large) on the Warner Robins City Council. Weighing whether or not I want to put myself and my family through the wringer and out on display.
This is a total new expenditure of $40,600.
For reference, an entry-level Warner Robins police officer makes $27,898.80 a year. That same entry-level officer does far more difficult and important work and quite literally puts his or her life on the line every single day he or she goes to work. The most important thing a City Councilman does is... show up to a meeting twice a month. The position of Mayor is, admittedly, a full-time job, but I fail to see how the person holding that job deserves to make nearly FIVE TIMES what his lowest ranking police officer makes. When's the last time the Mayor of Warner Robins served a no-knock warrant?
To make it worse, Mr. Horton is not running for re-election this year. He's leaving the Council. So why does he want to raise their salary?
Furthermore, what justification is there in admittedly difficult economic times to INCREASE government expenses, especially those expenses which have absolutely NO profitable return. $40,600 to raise the benefits of 7 people who sit in a nice, air-conditioned room twice a month is absolutely absurd. If we assume (probably wrongly) that there are 100 entry-level police officers in Warner Robins we could increase their salaries by $406 a year. That money would be spent locally by those officers and would... wait for it... STIMULATE THE ECONOMY. Or maybe we could use the money to improve city infrastructure, say expand the sewer and water service to another subdivision just outside the city limits and annex it, which would... wait for it... INCREASE TAX REVENUE.
But no. A bunch of smelly (OK, probably not, just making that up) old men need more money to sit around and HARRUMPH at each other. Instead of doing something about the problem, let's just throw more money at those in charge of trying to fix it. Wait, isn't that what government is for?
For the record, I'm strongly considering running for Post 1 (At Large) on the Warner Robins City Council. Weighing whether or not I want to put myself and my family through the wringer and out on display.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Well, he would know about mental illness...
http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0409/Barney_GOP_suffers_pyschological_disorder.html?showall
Excuse me while I go pee myself laughing.
House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank was in quite a mood on the floor of the House today -- questioning the sanity of Texas Republican John Culberson and other conservatives over their opposition to the new AIG bonus bill.Let me get this straight. Barney Frank has the audacity to call someone crazy?
Excuse me while I go pee myself laughing.
Tea Party
WHAT: Warner Robins Tax Day Tea Party Protest
WHEN: Tax Day, April 15, 2009 from 1500-1900.
WHERE: In front of the Homer Walker Municipal Complex, 700 Watson Blvd, WRGA. This is on Watson Blvd (obviously!) across from Macon State College, Robins Federal, and the Library.
WHO: You, your friends, your family, wife, girlfriend, husband, boyfriend, domestic partner, love interest, baby momma, baby daddy, uncle, aunt, grandparents, kids, people you don't even know, basically ANYONE AND EVERYONE who has an interest in eliminating taxes. The more people we get the better. I'm hoping to have all kinds of local media present so we want to show that we're not just a couple of kooks, but a whole TON of kooks.
More information to come. State information can be found at: http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/georgia/
More information can also be found at http://www.jeffscottshow.com/ or by listening to the Jeff Scott show on 99.9 FM or 1350 AM in the afternoons.
Facebook group coming shortly.
Email me at jakefletcher@gmail.com if you have any questions or can help out.
WHEN: Tax Day, April 15, 2009 from 1500-1900.
WHERE: In front of the Homer Walker Municipal Complex, 700 Watson Blvd, WRGA. This is on Watson Blvd (obviously!) across from Macon State College, Robins Federal, and the Library.
WHO: You, your friends, your family, wife, girlfriend, husband, boyfriend, domestic partner, love interest, baby momma, baby daddy, uncle, aunt, grandparents, kids, people you don't even know, basically ANYONE AND EVERYONE who has an interest in eliminating taxes. The more people we get the better. I'm hoping to have all kinds of local media present so we want to show that we're not just a couple of kooks, but a whole TON of kooks.
More information to come. State information can be found at: http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/georgia/
More information can also be found at http://www.jeffscottshow.com/ or by listening to the Jeff Scott show on 99.9 FM or 1350 AM in the afternoons.
Facebook group coming shortly.
Email me at jakefletcher@gmail.com if you have any questions or can help out.
Is this one covered under the Interstate Commerce clause, too?
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/02/house-approves-plan-fda-regulatory-power-tobacco/
The House of Representatives on Thursday approved sweeping legislation to bring tobacco under control of the Food and Drug Administration for the first time.
The vote was 298-to-112, with more than 60 Republicans joining majority Democrats in backing the legislation.
However, at least eight Democrats bucked their party and voted against the bill.
Under the bill, the Food and Drug Administration would be able to regulate, but not ban, cigarettes and other tobacco products. The FDA could make ingredients public, ban flavoring and prohibit marketing campaigns.
The plan would bolster tobacco warnings on cigarette packages and could require firms to lower nicotine levels in cigarettes.
Apart from the rather dubious Constitutionality of this, my main question is... why? If the market calls for flavored cigarettes, why not produce them? When I was a smoker I was rather fond of a few of Camel's flavorings... the Mandarin Mint were really good (and about $3 more a pack, if I recall correctly, which severely limited me smoking them).
And on what grounds is it anywhere near fair to violate intellectual property rights and copyrights by making ingredients public? Or to prohibit marketing? There'd be no more need for brands, competition, or anything else. The government could just consolidate all means of cigarette production centrally. Hell, we've started with cars, why not move on to vice (where the REAL money in a recession is)? Little steps, get the people used to the feeling of Socialism's big, hard manhood poking at their behinds, so they won't notice it as much when PresBo rams it all the way in.
Like I said, I'm an ex-smoker. Not healthy, too expensive, bad breath, tough to run, all that. But I firmly believe that if you want to put something that you KNOW will kill you into your body, you should be able to do it. I'll question your wisdom all I want (privately, because I know there's nothing more annoying than a self-righteous ex-smoker) but I'm not going to stop you from doing it. Big Brother is here to save you from yourself.
Makes me want to go fucking light up.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
PresBo's Teleprompter's Blog
http://baracksteleprompter.blogspot.com/
Too damn funny.
I'm especially fond of this post... http://baracksteleprompter.blogspot.com/2009/03/travels-with-michelle_29.html
Too damn funny.
I'm especially fond of this post... http://baracksteleprompter.blogspot.com/2009/03/travels-with-michelle_29.html
I think it's fairly well known that the First Lady and I have not always gotten along. This goes way back to her and Big Guy's dating days in Chicago. Whenever we'd go out for drives, for example, the conversations were always a bit stilted because Big Guy had a tough time reading the screens via the rear-view mirror when I was in the backseat. But I digress.Whoever writes this is a comedy genius.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Political tirade of the day.
You know what will change in November?
The face of the person in the White House.
Nothing else.
Politicians are all the fucking same...
A wise man once told me, "If voting could change anything, it would be illegal."
No matter which one of those morons wins the Presidency, they still won't give a fuck about the common man. No President ever has, and none of them ever will. They'll continue to pander to each of their respective audiences and will continue to bend the regular guy over a fucking barrel and rape him for all he's worth. Obama wants a nanny state. Hillary wants to garnish my wages if I choose not to buy into her healthcare plan... I've already got great healthcare at a low cost, since there's competition. Thanks anyway, bitch. McCain is the worst of them all... He says he's one thing, and then proves he's another when it comes down to it. See: 1994 AWB, McCain-Feingold (absolutely the worst piece of federal legislation in the history of the country) and the war.
At least with Obamillary I know what I'm getting... socialist (borderline fascist) nanny state tactics and a government who treats me like I cna't take care of myself.
No one in the Presidential race represented me. I'm an educated redneck who works for a fucking living, loves his country, supports the troops, carries a big fucking gun everywhere he goes, hunts, cusses, wears cowboy boots, pays his fucking taxes, goes to church every Sunday, is faithful to one woman, and DOESN'T WANT THE FUCKING GOVERNMENT IN HIS FUCKING LIFE. Don't try to require me to buy your crappy government healthcare... I'd sooner die than ask my fellow taxpayer to pay for something I need. Don't try to take my guns... you can have them, glowing hot, after I've fired every single piece of ammunition I own out of them at you. Don't try to tell me you're closing the border... your ancestors were immigrants too. Don't try to tell me you're going to give illegals driver's licenses and amnesty... they're here illegally. Fuck them. my family came here the old fucking fashioned way on a fucking boat through a fucking Island in New York and did so legally, and built themselves up a pretty fucking good life. Don't raise my taxes for anything... If I want to live in a country that takes my money to help pay for the "less fortunate" I'll move to Canada. Don't try to tell me the fucking welfare sponges "can't do it on their own." Bullshit. I'm a working-class man, and I came from working-class parents. We do pretty fucking well on our own WITHOUT government assistance. Why? Because we know how to fucking work. The next time I see a fucking welfare sponge load the food they bought with their fucking EBT "debit card" foodstamp bullshit into their fucking Escalade, I'm going to fucking lose it. They don't have to work for shit, the taxpayer (ME) buys all their fucking food because they "can't afford it" but they can somehow afford a fucking $40,000 car?
I'm tired of this crap.
The face of the person in the White House.
Nothing else.
Politicians are all the fucking same...
A wise man once told me, "If voting could change anything, it would be illegal."
No matter which one of those morons wins the Presidency, they still won't give a fuck about the common man. No President ever has, and none of them ever will. They'll continue to pander to each of their respective audiences and will continue to bend the regular guy over a fucking barrel and rape him for all he's worth. Obama wants a nanny state. Hillary wants to garnish my wages if I choose not to buy into her healthcare plan... I've already got great healthcare at a low cost, since there's competition. Thanks anyway, bitch. McCain is the worst of them all... He says he's one thing, and then proves he's another when it comes down to it. See: 1994 AWB, McCain-Feingold (absolutely the worst piece of federal legislation in the history of the country) and the war.
At least with Obamillary I know what I'm getting... socialist (borderline fascist) nanny state tactics and a government who treats me like I cna't take care of myself.
No one in the Presidential race represented me. I'm an educated redneck who works for a fucking living, loves his country, supports the troops, carries a big fucking gun everywhere he goes, hunts, cusses, wears cowboy boots, pays his fucking taxes, goes to church every Sunday, is faithful to one woman, and DOESN'T WANT THE FUCKING GOVERNMENT IN HIS FUCKING LIFE. Don't try to require me to buy your crappy government healthcare... I'd sooner die than ask my fellow taxpayer to pay for something I need. Don't try to take my guns... you can have them, glowing hot, after I've fired every single piece of ammunition I own out of them at you. Don't try to tell me you're closing the border... your ancestors were immigrants too. Don't try to tell me you're going to give illegals driver's licenses and amnesty... they're here illegally. Fuck them. my family came here the old fucking fashioned way on a fucking boat through a fucking Island in New York and did so legally, and built themselves up a pretty fucking good life. Don't raise my taxes for anything... If I want to live in a country that takes my money to help pay for the "less fortunate" I'll move to Canada. Don't try to tell me the fucking welfare sponges "can't do it on their own." Bullshit. I'm a working-class man, and I came from working-class parents. We do pretty fucking well on our own WITHOUT government assistance. Why? Because we know how to fucking work. The next time I see a fucking welfare sponge load the food they bought with their fucking EBT "debit card" foodstamp bullshit into their fucking Escalade, I'm going to fucking lose it. They don't have to work for shit, the taxpayer (ME) buys all their fucking food because they "can't afford it" but they can somehow afford a fucking $40,000 car?
I'm tired of this crap.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
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