Hoping All Kansans Watch This Video

There is a young man, one Davis Hammet, who moved to, of all places, Kansas, from Florida. He's a bit of an activist and by "a bit", I mean a full-on, nearly fire breathing activist, at that.

He started a group on Facebook called "Loud Light." He's doing fantastic work, following the Kansas State legislators and what, exactly they do and what they work on.

He's pretty incredible. I've written about him out here before.

And the thing is, all he's doing is educating Kansans.

He's not doing threatening protests or, God forbid, threatening anyone, nothing like that. He's simply trying to make his now fellow Kansans aware of what's going on in Topeka at the Capitol.

He makes videos detailing the week by week work at the Capitol then puts it on YouTube and again, Facebook. I've personally followed him to learn what's going on there and then, this week, he released a really excellent piece on the overall Kansas State budget, what's been going on with it at least through the Brownback years and what's taking place now. It's excellent. You'll find it here.



I've said before, Missouri and each and every state, really, needs someone doing this very work. Heck, I live in Missouri and I'm following this guy. It's very simple, complete, excellent, informative work about what state legislators are doing in their state capitol. The local evening news isn't this informative, helpful or downright important. He puts local news reporters to shame, honestly and literally. (Hear that, Fox4? WDAF? KCTV5? KCPT? KCUR? Kansas City Star?).

It is, as I wrote in the title, my hope that all or at least nearly all adult, voting age Kansans watch this video. They all need to know what has taken place, what's happening now and where that puts them and their state's budget.

Link:

Loud Light

Fantastic Question

Never Forget

No, never, ever forget.

The Seven Biggest Economic Lies (guest post)

The Seven Biggest Economic Lies from economist Robert Reich:

1. Tax cuts for the rich trickle down to everyone else. 

Baloney. 

Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush both sliced taxes on the rich and what happened? Most Americans' wages (measured by the real median wage) began flattening under Reagan and has dropped since George W. Bush. Trickle-down economics is a cruel joke.

2. Higher taxes on the rich would hurt the economy and slow job growth. 

False. 

From the end of World War II until 1981, the richest Americans faced a top marginal tax rate of 70 percent or above. Under Dwight Eisenhower it was 91 percent. Even after all deductions and credits, the top taxes on the very rich were far higher than they've been since. Yet the economy grew faster during those years than it has since. (Don't believe small businesses would be hurt by a higher marginal tax; fewer than 2 percent of small business owners are in the highest tax bracket.)

3. Shrinking government generates more jobs. 

Wrong again. 

It means fewer government workers -- everyone from teachers, fire fighters, police officers, and social workers at the state and local levels to safety inspectors and military personnel at the federal. And fewer government contractors, who would employ fewer private-sector workers. According to Moody's economist Mark Zandi (a campaign advisor to John McCain), the $61 billion in spending cuts proposed by the House GOP will cost the economy 700,000 jobs this year and next.

4. Cutting the budget deficit now is more important than boosting the economy. 

Untrue. 

With so many Americans out of work, budget cuts now will shrink the economy. They'll increase unemployment and reduce tax revenues. That will worsen the ratio of the debt to the total economy. The first priority must be getting jobs and growth back by boosting the economy. Only then, when jobs and growth are returning vigorously, should we turn to cutting the deficit.

5. Medicare and Medicaid are the major drivers of budget deficits. 

Wrong. 

Medicare and Medicaid spending is rising quickly, to be sure. But that's because the nation's health-care costs are rising so fast. One of the best ways of slowing these costs is to use Medicare and Medicaid's bargaining power over drug companies and hospitals to reduce costs, and to move from a fee-for-service system to a fee-for-healthy outcomes system. And since Medicare has far lower administrative costs than private health insurers, we should make Medicare available to everyone.

6. Social Security is a Ponzi scheme. 

Don't believe it. 

Social Security is solvent for the next 26 years. It could be solvent for the next century if we raised the ceiling on income subject to the Social Security payroll tax. That ceiling is now $106,800.

7. It's unfair that lower-income Americans don't pay income tax. 

Wrong. 

There's nothing unfair about it. Lower-income Americans pay out a larger share of their paychecks in payroll taxes, sales taxes, user fees, and tolls than everyone else.

On that election...

Unlike

Obama bad for America?

Really?

The Federal Reserve's KC Annual Symposium is WHERE?

Why is the Federal Reserve's "Kansas City annual symposium" in Jackson Hole, Wyoming if we're paying for it all?

Why the hell isn't this in Kansas City, Missouri, where it belongs? They could have stayed at our finest hotels and gone to our finest restaurants and STILL saved a LOAD of money.

Granted, it's a figurative drop in the bucket, moneywise, to the overall national budget but hey, you start saving money SOMEWHERE. This seems like a terrific place to start.  And cut.

Put Republicans back in charge in Congress?

Along with 9/11, let's never forget this

Are you paying attention, Kansas?

Facts about our country right now

Why George W Bush can never be forgiven

 

 

And Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleeza Rice and Paul Wolfowitz, at minimum.

Links:  The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War

"Hubris": New Documentary Reexamines the Iraq War

 

HUBRIS's Michael Isikoff: W's "Disengagement" from Iraq - YouTube

 

 

Mitt and Isaac

"Republican nightmare Monday: Tropical storm Isaac heads into Gulf, gathering hurricane winds. Reminds people (and the media) of Hurricane Katrina, which reminds them of George W. Bush -- the last Republican to occupy the White House.

But George W. is the last person Romney and Ryan want America to remember, because he brought on the Great Recession, turned a $5 billion surplus into a $6 trillion deficit, told America there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and didn't respond to Katrina for weeks.

Romney never speaks George W's name. Bush won't even appear at the GOP convention. But Hurricane Isaac may bring him back nonetheless."

--Robert Reich, American political economist, professor, author, and political commentator.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/posts/489677981044803

Oh, pardon me--about that budget deficit?

From Fox "News", last evening: Budget deficit shrinks to $349 billion in last four months The U.S. budget deficit registered at $349 billion for the last four months, marking a $70 billion decline from the same period a year ago, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Huh. First much higher employment numbers last week and now this. Maybe that guy in the White House isn't so stupid after all. Link: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/07/budget-deficit-shrinks-to-34-billion-in-last-four-months/

Good news/bad news on the debt ceiling negotiations

The bad news is that those chuckleheads in Congress haven't compromised an intelligent solution for the nation so we can go forward with our business. The good news is that both chambers of Congress--the Senate and the House--have to stay in Washington again this weekend, working, until they get this hammered out. Hammerheads. Link: http://news.yahoo.com/vote-delayed-debt-bill-default-date-looms-010308473.html

Great spending question for the Senate

Americablog has a great question for our Congress today and that is, why does the Senate Chaplain make $150,000 per year and have staff making $129,000, $86,000 and $52,000 each per year? If you add just those figures up, that comes to nearly one half million dollars a year for four people--one office. The entire article is both brief AND good, I think. I'd like answers. More than that, I'd like to be the Senate Chaplain. Link: http://www.americablog.com/2011/07/why-does-senate-chaplain-make-150k-and.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Americablog+%28AMERICAblog%29

Republican leaders are WAY off base on budget negotiations

Once again, Republican leaders right now are far off-base, this time on budget negotiations in Washington. The Democrats say they'll agree to spending cuts but the Repubs say no "tax increases". Holy cow. Here are two examples of "tax increases" they won't allow--the first is that the Dems want to TAKE AWAY TAX SUBSIDIES FOR THE "BIG OIL" COMPANIES. Let me ask again here, why on Earth would we give TAX SUBSIDIES to some of the BIGGEST AND MOST PROFITABLE COMPANIES IN THE COUNTRY?? (Do you sense my frustration here?). That's insane. It's just irresponsible, considering the budget imbalance we have. A second example of what the Repubs won't allow--what they're calling a "tax increase" the Dems are pushing for--is that THEY WANT TO TAKE AWAY TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR TAKING MANUFACTURING OFFSHORE. Are you kidding me? Like that's a bad idea?? Finally, at least here, the Democrats have proposed DOING AWAY WITH THE TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHIEST AMERICANS. The thing is, on this one, even the Republican rank-and-file support this. I think virtually everyone agrees we need to get manufacturing back here in the country. The Democrats need to take this and put it before the American people and show these ideas as the good ones they are and that anyone who opposes them are going against what's good for the country. If necessary, the Republicans need to be hung by their respective petards. Here's hoping. Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/24/us/politics/24fiscal.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2

California's Dream Act vs. their budget (deficit)

It seems California just passed their own version of the "Dream Act", allowing illegal immigrant students to stay in the state and reap the benefits of the state paying for some of their education.

That has got to drive a whole bunch of people out there crazy.

You see, California still has a budget deficit of at least $10 billion, which isn't chicken feed, for sure, but the legislature passed this legislation which will only add yet more to the state's budget and so, deficit.

Now, you may come down for or against this "Dream Act", allowing illegal immigrant's children to stay in the state and get their education but if you're for it--and I'm for the idea, anyway--it makes it difficult to support the viability and plausibility of making this work and happen if you're that deeply in debt.

Right?

If you're not only broke but deeply, deeply in debt, how is it you "invest" if you don't have any money and the law requires that you balance your books?

This is one tough situation.

Links:  http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/forum/x43955787/Should-voters-get-say-on-tax-extensions
Editorial: Support the state's DREAM Act
DREAM Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=california+dream+act+news&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&fp=bd65c7b8ba23dd6c&biw=1024&bih=653

Hopefully the shape of things to come

Dem Wins NY 26

Let's hope the Rethugs haven't learned a thing here and keep on pushing budget cuts at the expense of the populace instead of corporate welfare cuts and closing corporate loopholes.

Can you say "backwoods"?

It's finally gone more national.   From The Huffington Post:

Under Brownback, Kansas Will Be Only State Without Arts Commission

It's a good, rather brief read, too.

So be proud, Kansas. 

First it was "intelligent design".  Now this.

Sad, too, as Kansas used to be a rather progressive place with good, strong and intelligent leaders who worked for the people, the "common man" and less for the corporations or for themselves as is happening in this case.

Enjoy your Sunday, y'all.