News
Tea Party Patriots: Stop comparing us to the Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York
Wednesday, 12 October 2011 08:08
BY ALIYAH SHAHID
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, October 11th 2011, 12:22 PM
Win McNamee/Getty; James Keivom/News
The nation's largest Tea Party group blasted comparisons on Tuesday between their movement and the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations.
Tea Partiers are steamed. They don't like being compared to the Occupy Wall Street protesters one bit.
The Tea Party Patriots - the nation's largest Tea Party organization - has released a statement describing the anti-Wall Street demonstrators as hooligans and litterbugs.
"Tea Party rallies have always been safe and clean," co-founders Jenny Beth Martin and Mark Meckler said.
"Unlike in New York, we can find no reports of Tea Partiers being arrested, individually or en masse, at the thousands of tea parties across the country with millions of attendees that have taken place for years now."
It added Tea Partiers are "not lawbreakers, they don't hate the police, they don't even litter. A quick glance at the TV reveals the sharp contrast posed by the Wall Street occupiers."
Since the protests against big banks began in cities around the country weeks ago, many pundits and commentators have drawn comparisons between the two movements.
They argue both are grass-roots initiatives fueled by anti-establishment anger - the difference being that Tea Partiers focus their antipathy on the government, and the Occupiers on big banks.
The Tea Party Patriots, which claim to have more than 15 million supporters nationwide also argue their goals are completely different.
The Wall Street protesters "when they are intelligible, want less of what made America great and more of what is damaging to America: a bigger, more powerful government to come in and take care of them so they don't have to work like the rest of us who pay our bills," said Meckler and Martin.
Republican presidential candidate and Tea Party favorite Herman Cain also slammed the comparison on Monday.
He told Fox News' Sean Hannity that the Occupy Wall Street protesters are "just trying to legitimize themselves by trying to compare themselves to the Tea Party."
The former pizza magnate added that in reality, "They don't have real clear objectives like that. Do they want the people in Wall Street to come out of their offices and write them a check?
Cain drew fierce criticism last week when he declared unemployed Wall Street protesters have only themselves to blame for not having a job.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/10/11/2011-10-11_tea_party_patriots_stop_comparing_us_to_the_occupy_wall_street_protesters_in_new.html#ixzz1aaHvS4h6
The left could take lessons in civility from the Tea Party
Friday, 02 September 2011 10:23
Monday evening at Fitchburg State University the three candidates running for Mayor of Fitchburg Massachusetts gathered for a candidates forum. For just over two hours Mayor Lisa Wong (D), Ward 5 Counselor Joseph Solomito (D) and independent Kevin Lynch made their case to the crowd of 120 citizens in attendance.
Candidates were allotted a block of time split between their statement and questions taken from the crowd via volunteers with mikes in the audience.. Both the college and local cable networks covered the event, as did the local paper. Many vital local issues from crime to street lights to the current police contract where discussed. All in all it was an important but totally unremarkable bit of civic activity. Nothing you might not see in any city in the nation.
. …except it was, if Vice President Joe Biden and representative Andre Carson (D-IN) are to be believed hosted by a group of Terrorists who would love to see black Americans “hanging from a tree”.
Yes it was a tea party group, specifically the Twin City Tea Party that hosted the event. Its president Justin Brooks rather than having the normal monthly meeting invited the mayoral candidates to have the floor and present themselves to the voters they hoped to represent.
Maxine "The Tea Party can go to hell" Waters (D-CA) would have been amazed at the courtesy shown to the predominately democratic candidates particularly Mayor Wong an Asian female!, Vice president Biden would be shocked to learn no bombs were planted and Rep Carson would be beside himself to find that all the black and Hispanic citizens who attended left unharmed and unhung,
Meanwhile a “Kitchen Table Talk held today at Oak Bend branch of the St. Louis Public library and hosted by Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo) ended quite differently. Not only were no questions answered but the event had to be closed down and police called when a Tea party member was assaulted and a 2nd injured by two men in the crowd for taking pictures of a public event in a public building hosted by a public figure.
It would appear perhaps the Democratic Party rather than attacking the Tea party as violent racists and bigots might instead consider having Senator McCaskill's staff give Mr. Brooks a call. Perhaps he can give them a lesson from the tea party on how to run a civic event that's civil as well.
Continue reading on Examiner.com The left could take lessons in civility from the Tea Party - Boston TEA Party
Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/tea-party-in-boston/the-left-could-take-lessons-civility-from-the-tea-party#ixzz1WonKOqJc
Ten Ways Progressive Policies Harm Society's Moral Character
Monday, 25 July 2011 16:19
Paul Ryan's Budget for 2012
Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 April 2011 13:24 Tuesday, 05 April 2011 13:04
SUMMARY OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2012 BUDGET RESOLUTION
Where the President has failed, House Republicans will lead. This budget helps spur job creation today, stops spending money the government doesn’t have, and lifts the crushing burden of debt. This plan puts the budget on the path to balance and the economy on the path to prosperity. K EY FACTS SPENDING Cuts $6.2 trillion in government spending over the next decade compared to the President’s budget, and $5.8 trillion relative to the current-policy baseline. Eliminates hundreds of duplicative programs, reflects the ban on earmarks, and curbs corporate welfare bringing non-security discretionary spending to below 2008 levels. Brings government spending to below 20 percent of the economy, a sharp contrast to the President’s budget, in which spending never falls below 23 percent of GDP over the next decade. DEBT AND DEFICITS Reduces deficits by $4.4 trillion compared to the President’s budget over the next decade. Surpasses the President’s low benchmark of sustainability – which his own budget fails to meet – by reaching primary balance in 2015. Puts the budget on the path to balance and
pays off
the debt.
TAXES Keeps taxes low so the economy can grow. Eliminates roughly $800 billion in tax increases imposed by the President’s health care law. Prevents the $1.5 trillion tax increase called for in the President’s budget. Calls for a simpler, less burdensome tax code for households and small businesses. Lowers tax rates for individuals, businesses and families. Sets top rates for individuals and businesses at 25 percent. Improves incentives for growth, savings, and investment. GROWTH AND JOBS Creates nearly 1 million new private-sector jobs next year, brings the unemployment rate down to 4 percent by 2015, and results in 2.5 million additional private-sector jobs in the last year of the decade. Spurs economic growth, increasing real GDP by $1.5 trillion over the decade. Unleashes prosperity and economic security, yielding $1.1 trillion in higher wages and an average $1,000 per year in higher income for each family. K EY OBJECTIVES ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOB CREATION : Fosters a better environment for private-sector job creation
by lifting debt-fueled uncertainty and advancing pro-growth tax reforms. SPENDING CUTS AND CONTROLS: Stops Washington from spending money it does not have on
government programs that do not work. Locks in spending cuts with spending controls. REAL SECURITY : Fulfills the mission of health and retirement security for all Americans by making the
tough decisions necessary to save critical health and retirement programs. PATIENT-CENTERED HEALTH CARE: Repeals and defunds the President’s health care law, advancing instead
common-sense solutions focused on lowering costs, expanding access and protecting the doctor-patient relationship. RESTORING AMERICA’S EXCEPTIONAL PROMISE : Tackles the existential threat posed by rapidly
growing government and debt, applying the nation’s timeless principles to this generation’s
greatest challenge. Ensures that the next generation inherits a stronger, more prosperous America. House Budget Committee | April 5, 2011 5 K EY COMPONENTS Efficient, Effective and Responsible Government Prioritizing National Security: Reflects $178 billion in savings identified by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, reinvesting $100 billion in higher military priorities and dedicating the rest to deficit reduction. Streamlining Other Government Agencies: Returns non-security discretionary spending to below 2008 levels. Repeals the new health care law and moves toward patient-centered reform. Reduces the bureaucracy’s reach by applying private-sector realities to the federal government’s civilian workforce. Targets hundreds of government programs that have outlived their usefulness. Ending Corporate Welfare: Ends the taxpayer bailouts of failed financial institutions, reforms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and stops Washington from picking the winners and losers across sectors of the economy. Boosting American Energy Resources: Removes barriers to safe, responsible energy exploration in the United States; unlocks American energy production to help lower costs, create jobs, and reduce dependence on foreign fossil fuels. Changing Washington’s Culture of Spending: Locks in savings with enforceable spending caps and budgetprocess reforms, addressing not only what Washington spends, but also how tax dollars are spent. Strengthening the Social Safety Net Repairing a Broken Medicaid System: Ends an onerous, one-size-fits-all approach by converting the federal share of Medicaid spending into a block grant that gives states the flexibility to tailor their Medicaid programs to the specific needs of their residents. Preparing the Workforce for a 21st Century Economy: Consolidates the complex maze of dozens of overlapping job-training programs into more accessible, accountable career scholarships aimed at empowering American workers to compete in the global economy. Fulfilling the Mission of Health and Retirement Security Saving Medicare: Protects those in and near retirement from any disruptions and offers future beneficiaries the same kind of health-care options now enjoyed by members of Congress. Advancing Social Security Solutions: Forces action by the President and both chambers of Congress to ensure the solvency of this critical program. Promoting Economic Growth and Job Creation Individual Tax Reform: Simplifies the broken tax code, lowering rates and clearing out the burdensome tangle of loopholes that distort economic activity; brings the top rate from 35 to 25 percent to promote growth and job creation. Corporate Tax Reform: Improves incentives for job creators to work, invest, and innovate in the United States by lowering the corporate tax rate from 35 percent, which is the highest in the industrialized world, to a more competitive 25 percent. House Budget Committee | April 5, 2011 6
Dodging The Bullet Train
Friday, 27 July 2012 13:26
Moment of Clarity July 19, 2012
A first-class round-trip airline ticket from Los Angeles to San Francisco costs $393.60. And what, you may wonder, does that have to do with you? Here's what: It would be cheaper for you – the taxpayer - to buy first-class tickets for the first 112 million High Speed Rail (HSR) passengers than it will be to build the first phase of California's HSR. Let that sink in for just a moment.
The taxpayers of the nation ($3.3 billion) and the state of California ($1.4 billion) will pay more than $4.7 billion to build a rail line that 99% of Americans (and over 70% of Californians surveyed for that matter) will never use. But wait – that is just the tip of the iceberg. You see, that $4.7 billion only covers a tiny little stretch of the total system – Step 1, they call it. The California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) tells us that this first leg is vital because it closes the rail gap between Bakersfield and Palmdale. The punch line writes itself.
The cost to build the entire 520 mile length of California's HSR is now estimated to exceed $98 billion. That is not a misprint. If you need a little perspective, there are 119 countries whose GDP is less than $98 billion. $98 billion would buy 249 million first-class airfares. That's right - 249 million rides from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back, twice as fast as the bullet train, free drinks, and you don't have to stop in Palmdale.
And $98 billion is only the initial construction cost for California's HSR; it does not include the annual operating and maintenance costs once the system is built. The California High Speed Rail Authority projects operating costs of $453 million per year; they say they will sell the 6 million fares it will take to break even and avoid a taxpayer subsidy.
Let's stop laughing for a minute and give them the benefit of the doubt that a government public works program will come in on budget (snort), cost what they say to operate (involuntary passing of gas) and achieve the ridership they claimed in order to sell DOT on the project (milk through nose).
$98 billion would buy those 6 million California train dudes and dudettes first-class round-trip airfare from LAX to SFO and back for the next 41 years. 41 years is a long time - we will have forgotten the next two generations of Kardashians by then; Lindsay Lohan's granddaughter will be in rehab. And flying them all first class will save over $18 billion of train operating costs - money that can be used for other liberal priorities, like feeding hungry children, insuring the uninsured, building spy drones to buzz tea parties, suing states, or invading Syria.
This is what happens when people with no clue where money comes from decide what to do with yours. Economic absurdity requires a level of ignorance not easily maintained over the course of normal living. These ideas do not spring up in places like Bakersfield and Palmdale; they are hatched in reality deprivation chambers like Washington, Madison, and Berkley.
Actually, I am a fan of high-speed-rail - just not the public variety. If HSR was economically viable, private investment would develop it; there is enough cash on corporate balance sheets to build the California system four times over, to say nothing of the capital available in private equity firms.
HSR is built in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost in China, where advanced construction technology is utilized and the business climate favors economic development. But California is not China; California's business climate favors Nevada - there's your moment of clarity.
The irony is that many of the same people who worked to kill mining in Wisconsin are out pushing for High Speed Rail in California. Perhaps no one has explained it to them, but there isn't one single part in that whole system that is woven out of hemp. It will take millions of pounds of iron, copper, nickel, silver, cement, aluminum, rare earth metals, and plastics refined from petroleum to make this bullet train they seem to think Providence owes them. And guess what - coal and nuclear power plants will furnish the power that will make it go fast. Trains do not run on good intentions.
Construction of the rail line will take thousands of diesel-powered machines and there will be belching black puffs of carcinogens every time a piece of dirt is moved. Those dozers and graders and excavators will be polluting the air in California and heaving greenhouse gasses up into the atmosphere for 20 years before the first green ride on that bullet train ever takes place.
The FAQ page of the California High Speed Rail Authority points to Spain as its role model. Yes, that Spain - the nation that had to borrow money from France to pay its portion of the Greek bailout to keep Portugal from falling next and taking Italy with it. Thank goodness we didn't copy their health care model, too… oh, wait… never mind.
The California High Speed Rail project would be stupid even if we had money. But since the nation is broke, and California has to look up to even see the bottom of broke, the project is certifiably insane. That's why all the grownups said no.
Wisconsin dodged a high-speed bullet when Governor Walker killed HSR here, and Florida's Governor Rick Scott was smart enough to pass on it, too - as were dozens of other sober governors with calculators and a lick of common sense. It took the combined moon-battery of Jerry Brown, Ray LaHood, and Barack Obama to place the nation's dumbest public works project on the nation's most active fault line.
It was inevitable that this HSR project would end up in California; it is the only state in the union with enough weed to make it seem like a good idea.
Moment of Clarity is a weekly commentary by Libertarian writer and speaker Tim Nerenz, Ph.D. Visit Tim's website www.timnerenz.com to find your moment.
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