Waiting For The Next Big Thing

Kevin Drum is waiting for the fourth big invention:

Roughly speaking, I'd say there have only been three big GDP-busting inventions over the past few centuries: the steam engine, electrification, and the digital computer.

And speaking of waiting for the Next Big Thing, Sasha Volokh explains that strict libertarians might well oppose a government tax intended to save us from an asteroid disaster.  He expands on that logic in the comments:

My view (which is not unusual for libertarians) is that government occupies no special position. Whether it acts morally is judged by the same standard as whether a group of people, a gang, a mafia, etc., act morally. So, presumptively, taking money from people involuntarily (taxation) is immoral. But I believe that stuff that’s presumptively immoral becomes moral if the result of that rights violation is to protect other rights to a greater extent. So taxation is justifiable if and only if that taxation leads to a greater protection of rights. So to see whether the asteroid program is justifiable, we have to see whether it would protect rights (which would be automatically true if an asteroid impact would violate rights).

Now the harder question: would an asteroid impact violate rights? I’ve presented an implicit view of rights where a violation requires some sort of human action. Probably it would go something like this: a right is an ability to act without interference by someone else. So two issues arise: (1) Why the “someone else”? Why don’t you have a right to act without interference, period? (2) This doesn’t arise in the asteroid hypo, but it arises in other contexts: if “someone else” is necessary, does it have to be someone else’s intentional activity, or something else? (This affects, e.g., what kind of tort and criminal system are justifiable.)

Tentatively, I’ve thought that you at least need interference by some other conscious being (leave aside questions of whether the interference has to be intentional, or whether the act leading to the interference has to be intentional, or whether intent of any kind is necessary). The reason is that I sort of take the natural world to be the background condition of reality: it’s just seemed self-evident to me that, e.g., your right to life isn’t violated when you’re struck by lightning. Among other things, it’s seemed to me that you should have a rights violator for every rights violation, so if no one’s violating your rights, there’s no rights violation.

But maybe I’m wrong about that.

If the government is organized to protect us from each other, he is right; if the government is organized to protect us from actions and events that endanger all, and where free-ridership is an issue, then he is wrong.

Should the good citizens of Ohio be taxed to provide flood insurance to Snooki and the other residents of the Jersey Shore?  Probably not.  Should a rural fire department be obliged to save every house?  Probably not.

But in a urban setting, fire spreads easily.  One would expect the fire department to battle every blaze, even those initiated by lightning.  And one would expect the locals to tax themselves accordingly.

Comments

[Stephanie]

So are the new taxpayer jobs that are needed to fund Obamacare and the 120 million needed to fund them the straw that will break Judge Vinson's back?

81 new agents to oversee the tanning bed tax alone???

Pitchforks ain't enough.

[NK]

To be polite to Lefties, I'll note these big picture numbers off the top of my head but I think they are really close (Rick ballard has a really strong handle on these numbers he can correct me). Here are the Fed Gov't deficit percentages of GDP from the 1st Bush Budget to the first Obama budget:
2002 10642.3 1.48 a
2003 11142.1 3.39 a
2004 11867.8 3.48 a
2005 12638.4 2.52 a
2006 13398.9 1.86 a
2007 14077.6 1.14 a
2008 14441.4 3.18 a
2009 14258.2 9.91 a
2010 14508.2 8.92

Bush's first budget working off of the recession of Clinton's last year in office had a 1.48% deficit. Spending was flat, there was a minor tax credit "cut" and income, cap gains and payroll tax collections tanked, that's why we went from a surplus to a 1.48% deficit. The deficit peaked at 3.48% of GDP in FY 2004 because of the Iraq/Afghan wars, Homeland Security spending, NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND spending, and the 10% across the Board Bush income tax cuts went into effect. So the evil Bush wars and tax cuts AND a NEW ENTITLEMENT Medicare perscription drug plans went into effect -- so what happened? by FY 2007, the deficit was down to 1.14% of GDP Spending was 19+% of GDP, Taxes were 18+% of GDP. Starting in FY 2008 the Feds fiscal situation collapsed. tax revenues starting falling off as the economy entered recession-- NO tax rate cuts, just a small "stimulus" tax credit for low + middle income taxpayers-- so the deficit increased to 3.18% of GDP. Then the deluge-- the finalcial crisis caused TARP spending ($700B) and another Bush Tax credit for low/middle income and tax receipts, income, corporate, cap gains and payroll taxes fell off of a cliff from 18+% of GDP to under 15% of GDP -- no change in rates, the drop off was because people stopped earning money and cap losses (stocks and real estate) reduced the taxes paid. THEN the Obamaniacs came in-- tax collections stayed at 15%, and the Obamaniacs increased spending (Porkulus/government employees and soon Obamacare) from 19+% of GDP in FY 2008, to 25% by FY 2011. So the increase of Spending by 6% of GDP plus continued low income tax collections (NOT from reduced rates, same rate have been in effect in 2007 when the Feds collected 18% of GDP) results in a deficit- of 10% of GDP. An OBSCENE number -- seven times higher than Bush's first deficit. Tax collections will recover to 18+% of GDP with no rate increase. The only way the deficit comes down is to decrease spending to 19% of GDP. That's $800BILLION less spending. These are the facts and ThinkProgess can't make them go away.

[lyle]

and I've got my neighbor starting a green compost bin with kitchen waste on the side of his house. I'm gonna have to borrow your mouse trap Mark.

If a compost pile attracts rodents (or reeks), he's doing it wrong. I've composted for years.

[Pagar]

IMO, the 81 new agents for the tanning bed tax is a total ripoff.

Tanning bed tax requires 2 entries on which ever tax form one is required to file.

Entry 1- List amount of income derived from tanning bed usage sale.

Entry 2- Remit 10 per cent.

[NK]

PS-- dear Lefties, this is my source for GDP/deficit numbers-- it is a private website, run by deficit hawks, but as best I can tell, they use BLS and Treasury Dept tables for their charts:

http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/index.php

[Rob Crawford]

Tanning bed tax requires 2 entries on which ever tax form one is required to file.

Where's the opportunity for featherbedding in that?!

[Neo]

Washington (CNN) – Surprise candidate Alvin Greene was soundly defeated in his second bid for elective office on Tuesday. He captured only 37 votes or just about .01% of the 3,892 cast in a Democratic primary to fill a state legislature seat to cover an area including his hometown of Manning, South Carolina.

[Neo]

Isn't 37 of 3892 actually 0.95% .. or roughly 1% ?

[clarice]

CNN blames the stagnant income of the middle class on the fact that fewer of them belong to unions.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/How-the-middle-class-became-cnnm-2876148381.html>Big thinking at CNN

Perhaps CNN might look into the shift from manufacturing to other industries and globalization..no, they have to carry Dem water.

[Dave (in MA)]

Captain, I just stumbled over one of your posts at the Speakeasy. You're uh, even less shy over there than here.

[Rob Crawford]

Isn't 37 of 3892 actually 0.95% .. or roughly 1% ?

You expect journalists to do math correctly? The people who mindlessly report spending increases as "draconian cuts"?

[Captain Hate]

Isn't 37 of 3892 actually 0.95% .. or roughly 1% ?

Yes, CNN embarrasses themselves again; except they're too dumb to realize it

[Neo]

The 4th great invention ... fusion power for your auto

Remember in the end of "Back to the Future" the professor comes back from the future with a "Mr. Fusion" powered DeLoren.

[Extraneus]

That would do it, Neo.

[Captain Hate]

LOL Dave; there are plenty of moonbats there which is why I call their political threads the sucque forum. The place used to be great to discuss music but it went downhill for a number of reasons; one of which was that I'd run out of things to say other than writing reviews that I didn't plan on having published elsewhere, like I assume the thread you're referring to. I met a lot of online and "real life" friends there. There are a couple conservatives but not many.

[Extraneus]

Sen. Scott Brown Recalls Childhood Abuse

Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown tells Lesley Stahl he was the victim of physical, psychological and sexual abuse when he was a child. Stahl profiles the senator this Sunday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. ET/PT

[DebinNC]

The tanning tax was a replacement for the original botox tax. Dem elites sticking it to the overwhelmingly female small business people.

[Danube of Thought]

I love this line from CNN: "Tax cuts enacted during the Bush administration and extended under Obama were also a major windfall for the nation's richest."

You earn the money, and the part of it you get to keep is a windfall.

What is the source of the 37 and 3892 stuff?

[Rob Crawford]

You earn the money, and the part of it you get to keep is a windfall.

Within the state, everything; outside the state, nothing!

[PD]

Jim Rhoads, are you sure that you don't mean Alaska's "bridge to nowhere"? And if you do, I've got a major bone to pick with you if you haven't been to Ketchikan and seen the situation.

A difference with the bridge to nowhere was, I think, that the money got spent, just not on other projects, not the bridge. The money was allocated to Alaska and there was some discretion about how to spend it.

PD, I'm a Minnesotan for a few months yet, and I agree with you about the wisdom of Walker's action. Do you want me to butt out?

If your attitude was that you have the right to tell our governor what policy he should adopt and that your views trump those of WI residents, yes. That's the impression I got from the union boss' remarks.

[PD]

the money got spent, just not on other projects, not the bridge.

[Frau Nasevoll]

SOB - It's my button subject.

"She had dark hair, and specks of green in her eyes. Her voice sounded like a wind chime."
Janet, that--according to Cashill--was Billy the Bomber's girlfriend whom he had build his bombs. IMO the **better** question is who was the documented non-African American he lived with in Chicago. That should be easier to ascertain unless Alexrod destroyed all evidence in his attempt to control the story of Oprah's Lightbringer.

[Melinda Romanoff]

NK-
I have no doubt it's a nice, Green project, what I'm looking for is energy in, energy out type gradations.

I can't imagine this as breaking the 15% return level for energy in on the plasma side. That being said, I'll go read further to see what they claim.

Just curious, but keep in mind this is a DoE operation through and through.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Whoops!

That was for TK.

Sorry!

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

Sorry to be a pain in the ass but where was that story about DOJ and Mexico that someone linked to yesterday?

[Melinda Romanoff]

Jane-

They seem to be center column at Drudge, on the top.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

Thanks Mel, I thought it was something about guns and something the DOJ lied about. I should have paid closer attention.

[bgates]

Jane, that's not the story you're thinking about. This is.

ATF agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives--a DOJ agency--allegedly smuggled U.S. guns into Mexico in order to bolster the Department's disputed contention that Mexican drug cartels are armed primarily with U.S. guns. Whistleblowers within the ATF contend that one of the these guns was used to kill Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry in December of 2010. News of the murder and the underlying scandal that prompted it was first reported on December 28, 2010.

Rather than launch an internal investigation into the murder and the illegal scheme, the Department of Justice under Eric Holder, according to ATF whistleblowers, instead attempted a coverup.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

One could argue that natural disasters have impacted society in positive ways.

Rocco, I think I can pretty well guarantee that a Yucatan-scale meteorite would have no favorable impact except in the opinion of the Human Extinction Movement.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

That's it bgates - merci beaucoup!

[PD]

US Senator Will Halt Obama Nominee Over Deep-Water Drilling Permits

A U.S. Senator said Tuesday he would block President Barack Obama's nominee to head the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service until the administration issues at least 15 permits for deep-water drilling exploration.

"Louisianans are desperate to get back to work," Sen. David Vitter, (R., La.) said in a press release. "I love fish and wildlife, but my top economic priority is to stop the economic devastation caused to humans by the moratorium."

The administration has lifted a moratorium on deep-water drilling permits but has not issued one since the Deepwater Horizon incident last April, igniting criticism that a de-facto moratorium is hurting local economies that rely on the drilling industry.

[macphisto]

if "mendacious mulatto" is gaining acceptance as an idiom, can my coinage "the half-assed half-caste" be far behind?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

I've never been against the state licensing people commandeering

That's not quite what you mean....

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Isn't 37 of 3892 actually 0.95% .. or roughly 1% ?

Yes. It's a notorious issue for the innumerate (read "journalism major") that they forget to multiply the decimal fraction by 100 to get %-age.

[bgates]

The administration has lifted a moratorium on deep-water drilling permits but has not issued one since last April,

the same time that he quit smoking not withstanding which he still enjoys the occasional cigarette.

Meanwhile he demands civility from those he calls "teabaggers", preaches austerity from every star-studded house party, 5-star golf course, and $7,000/night vacation compound in America, and professes respect for other nations and reluctance to interfere while instructing everyone from Honduras to Egypt to GM on who they must install as chief executive.

[Captain Hate]

That's not quite what you mean....

You're right; I should've just used "operating". Thanks because I usually don't forget mistakes like that.

[transforminginnovationmovement]

5 yr spending is same as overseas leases that turned into overseas aid that turned into overseas entitlements like health care.We are in our second cycle of the five years taht will soon be ten.The first five years cycle ended when O announced he was running and foreign aid being his first priority was elected just after the second cycle was approved by Congress.Now, in addition to the health care entitlement that was transferred overseas becaudse it couldnt pass here and now should by reversing aid as a model for both;Food and water are now our national security in foreign aid and most bills dont allow consideration in our national debt due to the security status and wording in the bills for IMf participation.So,his freeze is reallty reversing aid as preserved over domestic spending his priority just spends more money we dont have controlling economies and manipulating the dollar as we accuse the Chinese as manipulating theirs as we deposit our real estate as MEs start selling bonds as we fight over natural resources for cash........

[Danube of Thought]

Where did the 37 and 3892 stuff first appear?

[Ignatz]

--The tanning tax was a replacement for the original botox tax.--

Well obviously Nancy was anticipating Boehner taking over a speaker.

[Ignatz]

DoT, see Neo's post at 2:11PM.

[Jane (get off the couch - come save the country)]

With the stuff going on in Wisconsin and a number of other recent things - i.e. the reaction to Obama's budget, I am really starting to believe we are beginning to win this fight. I've got a TP meeting tonite, I'll be interested to find out if anyone agrees.

Does anyone here?

[NK]

Hey TomM-- I would love to see you blog about this NYTimes piece on your new Governor. I think Malloy was drunk when he gave the interview, that's not much of a guess because he's usually drunk. Anyway, enjoy your new income tax rates and luxury car tax surcharges-- here you go:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/nyregion/16malloy.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=politics

[Captain Hate]

Yes Jane; I think the momentum is on our side and barring any major screw-ups (am I the only person that's noticed there hasn't been a peep from Rove lately) it should continue. They won't go quietly though.

[Threadkiller]

I know Mel. I will never trust the DOE. I just think this is a stunning idea and I hope it meets with success. I will also keep looking for true energy numbers.

">http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/archive/IWMBMtgDocs/mtgdocs/2004/09/00017010.pdf"> 186 pages of pdf

First the potential:

As a resource, the organic portion of the MSW materials being buried in California landfills each year represents an estimated chemical energy equivalent to more than 60 million barrels of crude oil, sufficient to generate 2370 MW of base load electrical power. At a market price of over $37 per barrel, this energy resource could be considered to be worth more than $2 billion.

Wow!!

But then the government:

The economics for individual facilities in California will be site specific as the primary economic competition is the standard landfill. Most, if not all, systems reviewed rely on tipping fees to be economically viable. As such, a decrease in tipping fee rates, which could result from direct competition with landfills for material, would likely cause financial stress or failure of the project. Future measures that increase diversion of generated waste or place restrictions on the content of landfilled waste (an example would be to limit or ban biodegradable waste components or restrict average total organic carbon content) will help provide incentives for further diversion and waste reduction as well as implementation of conversion technologies.

See Mel, it works if you hose the competition. :-(

I put this in the solar category. You take a relatively cheap product and subsidize it to the point it can only be afforded with government cheese.

[Jane (get off the couch - come save the country)]

It is going to take more than no screw-ups (she says as Rove appears on her screen). We need to deftly get thru this budget thing. But I do think Obama can clearly be painted as a non-leader at this point. And I'm thrilled that his over reach for the unions may just bust them in the end.

[Extraneus]

Attempting to copying the 1995 budget battle, especially after that Rep. Giffords fantasy-Oklahoma City fiasco, will make him look like an incompetent, opportunistic lowlife with no honest concern for the country. If the Reps paint the picture, of course.

[Rocco]

Charlie...well if it's that big I would agree, but even this little one could cause some major damage if it hits a big city. If it enters the earths atmosphere, and there's a possibility it might, gravitational pull could draw it toward us. Maybe we'll learn a thing or two.

[Janet]

Dems protesting cuts to PBS.

I assume the guy in the yellow shirt is Sen. 'Big Head' Jim Webb from Virginia. :(
I guess the guy sitting on the lectern is Kucinich??? not sure.

[Rob Crawford]

I love Breitbart, in a totally non-gay (NTTAWWT) way.

LUN.

[Rick Ballard]

"Does anyone here?"

I do. The Wisconsin legislature is going to tighten proof of residence requirements for voting and the governor seems to have watched Christie's "Kiss My Butt" motivational tapes regarding the proper way of dealing with public union leeches.

I would also note that the Dem playbook on government shutdown in '95 worked because Clenis was an exceptionally good liar and a very decent retail politician. BOzo is a pathetically unbelievable liar and a true mediocrity as a retail pol. Additionally, the economy was in decent shape in '96 and there wasn't a Notice of Sheriff's Sale stapled to doors to the Capitol.

[Jane (get off the couch - come save the country)]

That's ed markey Janet, a true Masshole.

[Jane (get off the couch - come save the country)]

Rob,

I agree about Breitbart.

[Jane (get off the couch - come save the country)]

Rick,

I hope you are right.

[NK]

Back on the terrorism front-- Leon panetta testifies to the Senate he would send Osamma to Gitmo if captured (AP quote below). Alrighty... hey wait.. that would violate the Obamaniac's executive order, and the Geneva Conventions!!!!... Panetta-Hitler--Impeach-- Impeach:

The AP reports:

If the U.S. captures top al-Qaida leaders Osama Bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahiri, they would likely be sent to the Guantanamo Bay military prison, CIA Director Leon Panetta told senators Wednesday.

This suggests that, given the choice, President Barack Obama would not try the men in the U.S. court system, opting instead for the Bush administration's policy that the president has long criticized.

[Rob Crawford]

NK, the only way to abide by the Geneva Conventions when dealing with Osama is to shoot on sight, regardless of any attempt to surrender.

[clarice]

wisconsin is now a real turn around state..If it can salt the highways from Chicago to Racine and Milwaukee and Kenosha with sharp nails on election day it will stay that way for a few years more.

[boris]

Apparently even a lot of the AG(R) higher ups (not T-party types I'd guess) are unhappy with the Scott Walker guv clamp down. If I had something to suggest (through a personal connection) I would.

[Threadkiller]

">http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Year2012Budg"> McClintock vs White House Budget director Jacob Lew.

This is great! Start at 1:35:00 and you will be treated to the “overseas contingency portion” of the budget. Lew blames Bush.

[NK]

RobC-- respectfully disagree. I am a big suppoter of the Geneva Conventions-- they have clear provisions dealing with Ossama. He is an "Unlawful Combatant" who can be dealt with military justice, requiring fair due process. Try him by Military Commission-- then execute him. Just like FDR did with the Nazi spies, the non-US born ones anyway.

[centralcal]

Rob: that was a really great Breitbart link!

[Melinda Romanoff]

clarice-

I fear the trains. Amtrak "Specials" to South Milwaukee, in particular, will prove popular to the "purple shirt" gang.

[Danube of Thought]

i've developed an overnight mancrush on this Wisconsin governor. He says he's got the votes to do it, too. As far as I know this will be a historic first, and my guess is it will be very popular. I'd love to see the GOP 2012 nominee include the end of collective bargaining for government workers a campaign issue.

[Melinda Romanoff]

DoT-

That's an expensive business model you're threatening there.

Wouldn't want to see anything happen, right?

[Quick! Guess the movie!]

[PD]

We've had very mild weather here the last few days, with lots of the snow melting. Unfortunately, this sudden "climate change" seems also to have brought me a cold, cough, sore throat, chills, and sore lower back. Yay.

It's bad enough that I'm probably going to have to tell my sweetie when she gets home that if she INSISTS of getting pizza for supper, I won't be able to mount any serious resistance in my weakened state.

O the vicissitudes of life.

[Ranger]

No wonder they are going after Issa:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/16/AR2011021604808.html>New subpoena seeks records on sweetheart loans

WASHINGTON -- A House committee chairman renewed efforts Wednesday to obtain names of current and former federal, state and local policymakers - including congressional colleagues - who received sweetheart mortgage deals from the former Countrywide Financial Corp.

The subpoena by Rep. Darrell Issa of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee makes it more likely that the records could be made public.

This could be very, very embarassing for a lot of people, the vast majority of whom are probably Dems.

[PD]

This could be very, very embarassing for a lot of people, the vast majority of whom are probably Dems.

No doubt, but let's smoke out everyone regardless of party.

[Threadkiller]

">http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/HouseSession4009"> McClintock on “Greens gone wild!”

He saves us money at 12:14:00 and Rodney Frelinghuysen ,NJ Republican, costs us money shortly thereafter.

[NK]

DoT--

do you have a citation for Wisconsin legislature voting to bar state employee unions? WISCONSIN? Land of LaFollette?
Home of the Progressive-- no way.

[PD]

As I understand it, Walker doesn't want to bar the unions, but he wants union members to pay more for their own pensions and health care premiums, and he wants to limit collective bargaining to wages only, not benefits.

[NK]

PD-- that sounds more realistic-- do you have a story link?

[Pagar]

"I thought it was something about guns and something the DOJ lied about."

Jane, The link you were given was but 1 part of a whole lot of info about the ATF story.

My LUN here is from the Examiner site also, but it is by David Codrea and has 20 plus previous stories written by him on this subject.

Suspects Released:
http://www.kgun9.com/Global/story.asp?S=14029119

This link is where I found the story originally.

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2011/02/atf-gives-guns.html

If true, and the facts get out this story will be hundreds of times bigger than the Pat Tillman cover up, IMO

[JB]

1.Steam engine
2. Electrification
3. Digital Computer
...
4. Nuclear fusion

Although I'd settle for EESTOR-type electric car batteries/ultracapacitors.

[Neo]

Only seven months too late, official Washington is starting to acknowledge flaws in the architecture of the Dodd-Frank law passed last July. Tuesday, for example, Federal Reserve Governor Daniel Tarullo admitted in testimony to the House Committee on Financial Services that by forcing much of the derivatives market through central counterparties, the government would now be creating new too-big-to-fail institutions and new potential sources of systemic financial risk. Somehow this wasn't one of President Obama's talking points last year, but yesterday Mr. Tarullo said the government would have to watch these new entities very closely: "This heightened oversight is important because financial market utilities such as central counterparties concentrate risk and thus have the potential to transmit shocks throughout the financial markets." Oh, and because these "utilities" are backed by the government, taxpayers will end up paying if they fail.

First, do no harm

[Extraneus]

Yup, they're worried about Haley Barbour.

[daddy]

"Shovel Ready Jobs"

Way behind as usual but in reading about Florida Governor Scott's decision to kill the high speed rail boondoggle, I noticed the reappearance of those famous 3 magic words which somehow materialize when Dem's want to spend outrageous sums of money, but then suddenly disappear when convenient.

The latest appearance is from Time Magazine writer Michael Grunwald, who amidst slamming Governor Scott for killing the project, trots out this line:

">http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2011/02/16/times-grunwald-florida-gov-scott-slaughtered-federal-gift-horse-high-s"> "This was the nation's most shovel-ready high-speed project, and the state wasn't required to spend a dime to build it."

So be prepared and keep your Shovels ready JOMer's for more Lefty shoveling of "Shovel Ready Jobs."

[Extraneus]

Some info on Gov. Walker's (WI) plan:

Madison — Gov. Scott Walker wants to help fix state finances by cutting benefits for union workers and wiping away their ability to negotiate over anything but their wages, setting up a potentially explosive battle in the Capitol.

That would mean public worker unions would not have any say on benefits and work rules and would face a new restriction on salary increases as well.

Walker's bill also would allow public employees to avoid making payments to unions if they don't join those unions. Now, workers can choose not to join unions, but they must make "fair share" payments similar to dues - a requirement that unions say is needed because all workers benefit from their work at the bargaining table.

[snip]

"This is not a shock," Walker told The Associated Press. "The shock would be if we didn't go forward with this."

The cuts are necessary to avoid up to 6,000 state employee layoffs and the removal of more than 200,000 children from the Medicaid program, Walker said.

Democrats denounced the plan and said the Republican governor was "declaring war" on unions before attempting to bargain with them.

"These are dedicated public servants who work really hard at what they do," Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) said. "You can't just take all that experience and flush it down the toilet."

More at the link.

[boris]

Link to Vicki McKenna's podcasts, Madison's Tea-Party radio host.

[Danube of Thought]

"You can't just take all that experience and flush it down the toilet."

Just watch.

A couple of days ago someone here, maybe Iggy, posted FDR's unequivocal denunciation of the very idea of public employees unionizing.

[Janet]

A House committee chairman renewed efforts Wednesday to obtain names of current and former federal, state and local policymakers - including congressional colleagues - who received sweetheart mortgage deals from the former Countrywide Financial Corp.

How long ago was THIS story already out there? Ya figure some Sandy Berger wannabe has already done away with lots of evidence?

When I watch COPS they haul those guys butts to jail that same night. Why not these congress people?

[Ranger]

The Corner has a complete copy of Gov. Scott's press release on why he killed the project:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/259885/gov-rick-scott-kills-high-speed-rail-florida-lou-dolinar>Gov. Rick Scott Kills High-Speed Rail for Florida

[Pagar]

"So are the new taxpayer jobs that are needed to fund Obamacare and the 120 million needed to fund them"

IMO, the IRS should not be allowed to hire a single new employee until the taxpayers are given some assurances that someone in the IRS knows what they are doing.

"Using IRS estimates for Fiscal Year 2009, it is likely that the IRS will have issued anywhere from $55 billion to $65 billion in improper payments by Fiscal Year 2014,” the TIGTA report noted."

"$55 billion to $65 billion" This is insane!

[Extraneus]

"You can't just take all that experience and flush it down the toilet."

Yeah, actually you can. (Full disclosure: I was involved as a manager in several large layoffs, and each time this same argument was made. We did the layoffs -- once right after doing a major buy-out of the older, more experienced people -- and hardly skipped a beat. It was as if the laid-off people weren't even needed to begin with. Managers just had to focus more on their core missions, since they no longer had the luxury of pursuing extra-curricular projects. I'd bet that goes double or triple or more for government. When you have 10 or a hundred people working for you, and you only need 20% of those to handle your real mission, you can always find stuff for the other people to work in. The more self-aggrandizing stuff is usually best.)

As for Republican politicians, who wouldn't want to do their own air-traffic-controller beatdown? Surely there are a lot of advanced-degreed retirees in WI who'd be happy to pitch in if Walker had to send the teachers packing, for example.

[Frau Nasevoll]

"O the vicissitudes of life."

I feel your and especially your wife's pain, PD. Hang in there. Global warming Climate change cannot last forever.

[Jack is Back!]

Great thread - thanks for keeping me sane and up to date. Sitting in Delta Lounge in Santiago waiting to fly home. Quick impression - watch the chilean peso. Dynamic country, modern culture, enjoyable metroplex.

[daddy]

JiB,

Glad you aren't coming home via Argentina.

They might have confiscated your and Frederick's ">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703584804576144450144733380.html"> cargo.

I really enjoyed Fredericks blog and your pictures were great. Thanks for doing that for all of us. Much appreciated.

[Janet]

Have a safe trip back JiB!

Managers just had to focus more on their core missions, since they no longer had the luxury of pursuing extra-curricular projects.

That seems so important. So much of government (local, state, & fed) seem to have forgotten their core missions.
24/7 sitting around thinking up feel good extra-curricular projects & using our money to implement them.
Not all bad things...just not government's business.
The above picture of Congressmen with cartoon characters is a great example.

[PD]

"O the vicissitudes of life."

Update: I am indeed going to be forced to eat pizza. Life is so unfair! :-)

[Ann]

Just cause it makes me smile.....

iowntheworld.com

[Ignatz]

--A couple of days ago someone here, maybe Iggy, posted FDR's unequivocal denunciation of the very idea of public employees unionizing.--

Twas me, but I only knew of it because someone, I think here at JOM, had linked to it a few weeks or months back. Unfortunately my increasingly porous mind is not able to give credit where it's due.

[Extraneus]

Hi Ann! Where ya been?

[PD]

Democrats denounced the plan and said the Republican governor was "declaring war" on unions before attempting to bargain with them.

"Declaring war"? Such uncivil language, tsk, tsk.

[Ann]

Under the weather, Ex. :) Feeling better now and the sun came out too! Thanks

[Ann]

The House Republicans are at least trying.

Top 10 CR Amendments for Conservatives to Watch
1. Cut $20 Billion More (Amendment No. 104)

2. Defund ObamaCare Implementation (Amendment No. 575)
3. Prohibit IRS Funding for ObamaCare (Amendment No. 274)
4. Stop Net Neutrality (Amendment No. 9)
5. Eliminate Obama’s Unconfirmed Czars (Amendment No. 204)
6. Block EPA Enforcement (Amendment No. 198)
7. Defund ‘Family Planning’ Programs in Foreign Aid (Amendment No. 262)

8. Cut spending to 2006 levels (Amendmenent No. 163)

9. Defund Climate Change Panel (Amendment No. 149)

10. End “Monuments to Me” (Amendment No. 26): Rep. Michael McCaul (R.-Tex.) has an amendment which blocks any CR funds from being used for “a project or program named for an individual serving in the United States Congress.”

Love the last one!

[Melinda Romanoff]

Hi Ann!

I hope all is well in photo-posting-expertise-land.

[Mark Folkestad]

Ann, thanks for sharing that image!

PD, we Minnesotans would have been in the same kettle with you Wisconsinites over that rail project. And it was federal tax money that would have seeded the boondoggle. So we have a right to make comments, and I hope that you are pleased that I agree with you.

[Jane (get off the couch - come save the country)]

Just came in from the Sturbridge Tea party monthly meeting. Unbeknown to me we had 2 plants from the democrat party tonite. By the end of the meeting the entire thing had devolved into a shouting match which was actually too entertaining to break up. It was really funny and so predictable: e.g.

"I support some of what you are about but it really is possible to cut too much spending"

"why shouldn't union members get a bonus, they played no part in the fall of GM"

"why didn't you complain about George Bush"

and one just for Mel:

"I work with Rick santelli every day and he is a loose cannon."

[narciso]

Lol, Jane, I mean they really ought to try harder, this is not so funny though, in the LUN

[Pagar]

More scamming the IRS!

LUN

Anyone care to guess where the millions and trillions the IRS returns to these fraudulent
claims come from?

As for as I can tell these stolen millions are in addition to the trillions mentioned in the 06:56 LUN

[Extraneus]

Clapper was back on the Hill today.

"It's hard to at this point to point to a specific agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood as a group," National Intelligence Director James Clapper told senators. When asked about the group’s attitude to Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel, he said this was a difficult question before assessing “they are not in favor of the treaty.”

[Captain Hate]

why shouldn't union members get a bonus, they played no part in the fall of GM

File under "If you're stupid enough to believe this you deserve to lose everything".

Hey Ann, wasn't it a glorious day today? I'll bet you guys prolly hit 60.