Budget

Budget - Chicago - Cook County - Cook County Board - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Race - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

PC-a-paloosa: Cook County Board Pushes Anti-Arizona and Pro-Affirmative Action Measures

May 5, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Here we have Cook County Board President Todd Stroger spending as much cash on his family, offices and friends as he can before he gets canned from his high position in government, here we have the County budget coming in at $3 billion, the Board constantly squabbling over massive tax hikes — hikes they thankfully didn’t implement this budget cycle — and so many things going on that are supremely important yet the County Board is wasting time trying to pass anti-Arizona rules and setting up new offices to implement affirmative action measures.

In talks about new red-light cameras that are little else but cash machines that sap money from the citizens straight to government pockets while providing little by way of safety, it occurred to a pair of pro-law breakers on the County Board that they should exclude the Arizona-based company that was in the running for the county’s red-light camera business.
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PC-a-paloosa: Cook County Board Pushes Anti-Arizona and Pro-Affirmative Action Measures”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Free Trade - House of Representatives - Liberals - President - Public Employees Unions - SEIU - Senate - Socialism - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Washington to Give Unions More Power to Tell Corporations What to Do

April 30, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Senator Chris Dodd (D, Conn.) wants to give unions more power in the boardrooms of our nation’s businesses. In essence, Dodd wants to force corporate boards under the thumb of unions by federal fiat.

Carefully hidden in Dodd’s new regulations are provisions that give new powers to board members, powers aimed at giving unions more say in the operations of businesses from the inside through investments of pension funds.

The Dodd bill takes away from the states the ability to make rules governing how corporate boards are established and run and for the first time reassigns that power to the federal government through the SEC. Democrats expect to use this new power to affect corporate boards to force pension fund investors to obtain more seats on those boards and that means union pension funds will suddenly have more influence on business simply because of their influence in Washington.

This will severely alter the relationship between business and labor, effectively erasing the ability of a company to operate in its own interests and will force it to serve the interests of Big Labor and Washington D.C.

This is just one more small step in the elimination of America’s private business community and the implementation of a quasi-socialist business state. One more anti-American arrow in Obama’s quiver shot over the bow of America.
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Washington to Give Unions More Power to Tell Corporations What to Do”

Budget - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Education - Elections - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois School Fund ‘Money Laundering’ Bill Passed by Both Houses

April 29, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Unfortunately a bill that will allow schools to pull a bait-and-switch and pilfer funds that are supposed to go for other things and apply those funds to unapproved building projects has now passed both houses in Springfield. This means that schools might now be able to take funds that are supposed to be used for specific things and pour them into building projects (or any other use) for which the schools did not get voter’s approval. I wrote about this bill on April 28.

The way our system is supposed to work is that schools that want major new building projects or other such high ticket needs must go before the voters for a bond issue, for taxes to be raised. The voters say yes and taxes are raised or bonds issued to satisfy the school’s needs. But if voters say no, then the schools are supposed to do without. That is they way democracy is supposed to work.

But lo and behold special interests and consultants that make their living off our schools by consulting them on bond issues and spending plans wrote HB6041 that convinced lawmakers to allow schools to raid specified funds any time they feel like doing so and use those funds for whatever they want to use them for. This is now misappropriation of funds made legal.
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Illinois School Fund ‘Money Laundering’ Bill Passed by Both Houses”

Andy Stern - Business - Economy/Finances - Elections - Jobs - Liberals - Public Employees Unions - SEIU - Warner Todd Huston

It’s Official Stern Protege Loses SEIU Race

April 26, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Earlier this morning I said that it looked like former Service Employees International Union head Andy Stern’s handpicked replacement wasn’t going to succeed her Svengali. Looks like that was correct.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal’s John Fund, the new SEIU head is Mary Kay Henry as we discussed earlier.

Now, we wait to see if the SEIU withdraws a bit from the national scene and again begins to cast its eyes inward as many think will happen under Mz. Henry’s leadership. Time will tell.

Budget - Chicago - Cook County - Cook County Board - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Coffee Break Costs Cook County $76,291

April 20, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A cuppa Joe, we all love it — well, I don’t drink coffee at all, but most people do, anyway. You might spend a few bucks a day on your coffee, right? Well, add a few more dollars to that daily bill if you are a resident of Cook County, Illinois. A recent review of the county’s expenditures shows that it spent $76,291 on coffee products from the ACE Coffee vending company.

But, it wasn’t just coffee and snacks that the ACE company provided. No, it was one hand washing the other as the ACE Coffee company has given tens of thousands of dollars in political contributions to Cook County Democrats, 14th Ward Alderman and Democrat Committeeman Ed Burke in particular. Burke and his various committees and associates got $20,250 of ACE’s $30,000 in political contributions made last year.

  • $11,250 to Friends of Edward M. Burke
  • $3,000 to The Burnham Committee (of which Burke is listed as chairman)
  • $3,000 to the Democratic Party of the 14th Ward (of which Burke is committeeman)
  • The company’s CEO, Bernard E. Cavitt, also made $10,500 in contributions to Burke-related committees since 2000.

If a private company wants to buy coffee for its employees, well, that is fine. They have a right to decide how to spend their own profits. But what we have here is the taxpayers paying for county employees to sit around drinking coffee and eating snacks on OUR dime. And the coffee company is hip deep in the pockets of county and city officials to boot!

We can thank Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica for his efforts to make sure that the Cook County check register is on line for all to see so that this sort of unsavory relationships can see the light of day. We’d never be able to find such things without the Cook County transparency effort, so thanks to Peraica for his work here.
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Coffee Break Costs Cook County $76,291″

Andy Stern - Jobs - SEIU - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Breaking News: SEIU’s Stern Resigning

April 12, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

According to The Politico, Andy Stern, the President of the Service Employees International Union, is resigning his post.

The news come to Politico from the President of an SEIU local based in Seattle, Diane Sosne. Politico is taking her word as true.

No reason for the resignation is known and Stern has yet to actually make an official announcement.

I expect that Stern is moving to some position in the Obama Administration. Remember that Stern was the number one most frequent visitor to the White House.

More news as it becomes known…
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Breaking News: SEIU’s Stern Resigning”

Budget - Chicago - Cook County - Cook County Board - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Government - Illinois - Liberals - State Government - Taxes - Tony Peraica - Warner Todd Huston

Video: Peraica Explains the ‘Borrowing Scheme’ of Cook County Board

April 7, 2010 by

Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica provides an update from the April 6, 2010 Cook County Board meeting. On tap is a discussion of Cook County property tax assessments, as well as a massive borrowing scheme involving the issuance of $740 million in bonds.

Needless to say, Commissioner Peracia opposes this corrupt bargain.

Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Jobs - Liberals - President - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

HALT THE ASSAULT, Help Stop Obama’s Assault on America’s Jobs

April 1, 2010 by

The good folks at the Free Enterprise Alliance has launched a new site to encourage people to join the effort to stop this out-of-control, anti-jobs, anti-business climate that President Obama and the Democrats are ginning up in America today.

HaltTheAssault.com

So, pass the site around to those like-minded folks that want to stop intrusive government. Let pro-business folks everywhere know that this site has been launched and let’s

HaltTheAssault!

Budget - Chicago - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

PROillinois: New Pension Plan Idea Debuts

March 30, 2010 by

MADIGAN PENSION BRIDGE NOT FAR ENOUGH

PROillinois New Grassroots Campaign to Unshackle Local Governments From Unfunded State Pension Mandates

(March 30 – Northbrook, IL) Runaway government employee pension costs is the hot topic, with average taxpayers and the press starting to take notice of this looming public finance disaster. A more dramatic, yet simple pension reform effort known as “the PROillinois plan” is gaining momentum, and is being promoted by a grassroots group of Illinois residents and local government leaders who want to put an end, once and for all, to the unworkable Springfield practice of dictating to local governments the retirement benefits paid to local government employees.
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PROillinois: New Pension Plan Idea Debuts”

Budget - California - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Government - Jobs - Liberals - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

California’s Brown Tells Unions to ‘Attack’ His GOP Opponent

March 19, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

You couldn’t get any better proof that unions are little else but hatchet men for the Democrat Party than Jerry Brown’s recent visit to a labor group meeting in California this week.

At a meeting of the Laborers’ International Union of North America in Sacramento, Brown gave marching orders to the unions in his race for the Democratic nomination for California Governor. He wanted them to “attack” the GOP for him.

“We’re going to attack whenever we can, but I’d rather have you attack. I’d rather be the nice guy in this race. We’ll leave [the attacks] to … the Democratic Party and others.”

That’s a pretty cynical campaign, isn’t it? Brown hopes to unleash the “attack” dogs of the unions in his favor, but expects to stand clear of the mud flying so as to appear untarnished… yet HE’S the guy that ordered the mud to fly in the first place?

Jerry Brown may think the voters are stupid but let’s hope they disabuse him of that notion.
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California’s Brown Tells Unions to ‘Attack’ His GOP Opponent”

Budget - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Jobs - Liberals - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - State Government - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Dear Chicago Taxpayer, You Owe Us a Pension so Pay Up

March 8, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Civic Federation is reporting that every Chicago resident is on the hook for 444 percent more in unfunded retirement pension benefits to city workers than they were a decade ago.

The watchdog Civic Federation said Monday that the funding deficit for the 10 largest Chicago-area public pension funds soared from $3.4 billion in 1998 to $18.5 billion in 2008, the last year for which figures are available.

This is the fault of both politicians for spending the money instead of investing it as well as unions for “negotiating” ever higher and undeserved benefits with each new contract.

But no matter who is at fault, I’d guess that all the perpetrators imagine that the federal government should bail them out when the inevitable collapse arrives.

That way neither the unions nor the profligate democrat politicians will ever have to pay any substantive price.

Only one problem: the US government doesn’t have the cash or credit, either.

I foresee the collapse of pensions all across the county and millions of people that thought they had retirement available for them will find out that it doesn’t exist. A major mess will soon come to town and no one can prevent its arrival.

Both rank and file Democrats and their unions and politicians deserve all the pain coming their way, too.
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Dear Chicago Taxpayer, You Owe Us a Pension so Pay Up”

Barack Obama - Budget - DuPage County - Economy/Finances - Illinois - President - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Gov’t Waste: $250,000 for Green Roof for DuPage County Bldg (Illinois)

March 4, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It’s stimulus, dontcha know? It’s gonna help us all, ya see? It’ll save the economy, of course. What is it? It’s $250,000 of wasted federal money going to plant some pretty foliage on top of the DuPage County, Illinois Administrative building to erect a “green roof” there.

That’s right, Illinois, your federal tax dollars are being wasted to plant some weeds on top of the DuPage County government building, plants that are supposed to save the county money in energy bills. Well, in about 20 or 30 years, that might actually be true when factoring in the $250,000 initial price tag.

Of course, one can easily assume that the DuPage County facility will have been torn down and a new boondoggle of a government building program will be stated to replace it long before that 30 years is up, right? In other words, the energy savings that might occur some 30 years from now will not likely be realized.

But, is it stimulus? Will it help anyone? Not really. This is money going to government from government. It is not money going to the private sector so that it can do something that will earn a return on investment. This helps no one but simply adds more tax money spent on more government.

And we all know that the most likely outcome of this whole “green roof” project will be a whole cadre off union louts hired to hold a rake or a watering hose for 7 hours a day, a cadre that will then retire at 50 with $50,000 a year pensions all paid courtesy of the Illinois tax payer.

Thank you Big Government Obama.
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Gov’t Waste: $250,000 for Green Roof for DuPage County Bldg (Illinois)”

Americans For Prosperity - Budget - Business - Chicago - Illinois - Liberals - Pat Quinn - State Government - Stimulus - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Americans for Prosperity: A Message to Governor Quinn‏

February 25, 2010 by 1 Comment

Americans for Prosperity applauds Governor Quinn for opening an online comment portal offering the general public an opportunity to view and comment on the states budget dilemma.

On March 10, 2010 Governor Quinn will be making his annual budget address. Governor Quinn has made it clear that he believes the only way out of the states financial mess is to raise our taxes.

Americans for Prosperity strongly disagrees!
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Americans for Prosperity: A Message to Governor Quinn‏”

Budget - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Illinois - Liberals - Pat Quinn - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Budget Now Online, Governor Wants YOUR Comments

February 25, 2010 by 1 Comment

SPRINGFIELD – February 24, 2010. Officials from Governor Pat Quinn’s Administration today announced that, for the first time in Illinois’ history, the public can actively participate in the state’s budgeting process. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) today launched www.budget.illinois.gov, a Web site that allows Illinois residents to provide feedback that will be used to shape the state’s fiscal year 2011 budget.
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Illinois Budget Now Online, Governor Wants YOUR Comments”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democracy - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Family - Free Trade - Illinois - Liberals - Oregon - Rights - SEIU - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Tea Party - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

In Worst Economy In Decades Oregon Considers Massive Tax Hike

January 7, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

If you Tea Party goers in the western U.S. want a specific battle to fight there is none better than ballot measures 66 and 67 in the State of Oregon. The venerable Beaver State is preparing to chase out even more jobs and intends to tax its industry and small businesses to death with these badly timed measures but Oregonians have a chance to stop them by voting “no” on both 66 and 67.

During the worst national and state-wide economy since The Great Depression, with Oregon families losing jobs in every corner of the state, with businesses going out of business everywhere, the high-minded, left-wing state government has decided in its inestimable wisdom to launch the largest tax hike on the business community and the so-called rich in Oregon’s history. In 2009 over 1$ billion in permanent tax hikes was signed into law by Governor Ted Kulongoski, the drunken sailor that sits in the State House in Salem.
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In Worst Economy In Decades Oregon Considers Massive Tax Hike”

Budget - Business - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Truth in Accounting - Warner Todd Huston

Truth in Accounting TV Appearance

November 29, 2009 by 1 Comment

On Nov. 12th, WTTW 11, Chicago’s PBS station, did a roundtable segment about Illinois’ C minus grade on managing its money. The panel featured Sheila Weinberg of The Institute for Truth in Accounting, and Illinois non-profit think tank that we’ve discussed here many times.

This is a warning that Illinois has a budget disaster that will sink it unless addressed, and soon.

(cross posted at RedCounty.com)

Budget - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Watch Truth in Accounting CEO on WTTW Ch. 11 7:00 p.m. Tonight

November 12, 2009 by

Chicago – Sheila Weinberg, Founder and CEO of the Institute for Truth in Accounting, will be featured on Chicago Tonight – WTTW Ch. 11 this evening (November 12) 7:00 p.m. CST. The segment will highlight the budget gimmicks that have heightened Illinois’ current financial crisis. You can also watch the live telecast online at: http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=42,9

Eddie Arruza, Chicago Tonight’s host, will be discussing with Weinberg and the other panelists Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril, a study recently issued by the Pew Center on the States. This study highlights that Illinois’ budget gap is by far one of the worst in the country.

Prior budget gimmicks have heightened Illinois’ current financial woes. These budgeting shenanigans include floating bonds to pay pension obligations, reliance on borrowing and paying bills late.
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Watch Truth in Accounting CEO on WTTW Ch. 11 7:00 p.m. Tonight”

Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Free Trade - GOP - Illinois - Liberals - President - Republicans - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Video: Cook County Board Presidents Candidate Debate

November 6, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

John Garrido only Republican to attend

Several of the candidates for Cook County Board President attended a debate hosted by The Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA). It was filmed by Chicago’s ABC News.

In attendance were Republican candidate, John Garrido, current Democrat incumbent Todd Stroger, Democrats Ald. Toni Preckwinkle, and Metro Water Reclam. Dist. Pres. Terrence O’Brien, as well as Green Party candidate Tom Tresser.

Sadly, Republican candidate Roger Keats did not participate. Also not attending were Democrats Dorothy Brown, and Danny Davis — likely because Davis has not yet officially announced his candidacy. Also not attending was Greenie Sean Burke.
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Video: Cook County Board Presidents Candidate Debate”

Budget - Business - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Ill Policy Institute: Let’s Stop Gov. Quinn’s Massive Tax Hike

October 27, 2009 by

A message from John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute:

With Governor Quinn’s $3.2 billion tax hike now in the dustbin, everyone claims it was always headed for defeat. But last spring, it was a different story—legislators, activists and the media all said the tax hike was a “done deal.”

Not so fast. First, we issued our report, “Who will really pay for Governor Quinn’s tax hike?on television, on the radio and in the papers.
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Ill Policy Institute: Let’s Stop Gov. Quinn’s Massive Tax Hike”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - California - Capitalism - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Liberals - Republicans - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

California’s Mass Job Loss… Except in Government

September 13, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A recent report by the Sacramento based California Budget Project shows that two out of five working-age Californians are out of work. The jobless rate has not been this bad since 1977. California’s unemployment rate is one of the worst in the country at 12 percent.

Yet, union membership has grown in California despite the recession. And it’s no wonder when looking at the CBP study. On page three, for instance, we see a notation that reports that unionization in government jobs has grown substantially and is also at a much higher percentage of the total sector workforce in California than it is in the rest of the country.

Unionization rates were consistently higher in the public sector than in the private sector in 2008-2009. As Figure 2 shows, public-sector unionism was especially strong in Los Angeles as well as in California: during 2008-2009, well over half of all workers in the California and Los Angeles public sectors were union members. In the nation as a whole, the unionization rate for public-sector workers was 37.0 percent; much higher than the 7.5 percent rate found in the private sector, but well below the rates for public-sector workers in California (57.4%) or Los Angeles (56%).

So, while regular citizens are losing their jobs by the millions, government workers are in clover, riding the gravy train, on easy street.
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California’s Mass Job Loss… Except in Government”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Capitalism - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - House of Representatives - Jobs - Liberals - Republicans - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Are Voters Fed Up at Last? Ohio Congressman Turner Gets Slammed for Earmarks

September 8, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Much to his dismay, Congressman Mike Turner of Ohio’s 3rd District has just discovered a new attitude from his voters. Unfortunately, it’s a lesson that congress isn’t likely to learn too quickly. But let’s see if Congressman Turner will.

Until now there has been an averting of the eyes at the overspending of “my” congressman. The individual voters have for decades been willing to excuse their own congressman for bringing home the pork even as they complain at the wild over spending by congress as a whole.

For a very long time the voters have been upset at spending by congress, but they’ve completely ignored the excesses of their own congressman because, after all, his wild spending came home to them. Voters have been willing to overlook their own pork if it’s their pork.

But if a recent tea party rally in Ohio is any indication, this permissive attitude so long exhibited by voters might finally be about to change.
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Are Voters Fed Up at Last? Ohio Congressman Turner Gets Slammed for Earmarks”

Budget - California - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Immigration/Immigrants - Socialism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

California’s Free Cash For Illegals, Coddling Lawbreakers

August 29, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Here is just another example of why the State of California is in a budget crisis: The Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI).

What is this program, who qualifies? Well, it does no less than give free government money to any illegal immigrant that is either over 65 years of age or is disabled or blind and does not qualify for Supplemental Security Income (Social Security) due to their immigration status.

Why is California just giving money away to elderly illegals?

Your guess is as good as mine.
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California’s Free Cash For Illegals, Coddling Lawbreakers”

Budget - Business - California - Campaign Finance - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Liberals - Republicans - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Will the Real Republican Please Stand Up?

June 18, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

“I am not beholden to any party.”
California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, candidate for governor

That must be true given Steve Poizner’s history of political donations. Poizner has given, and generously at that, to both Republican and Democrat candidates for office in addition to several Democrat controlled committees, this based on he and his wife’s publicly reported accounts, anyway. Oddly, Poizner’s wife happens to be a registered Democrat who Poizner has “blamed” for many of the Democrat contributions that have his signature affixed. Such donations include: a $10,000 contribution to the Democratic National Committee on 10/02/00; $1,000 to John Forbes Kerry on 02/15/01; and a $10,000 donation he made to the ’00 Gore/Lieberman Recount Committee.

In fact, there is quite a lot of chatter out there that seems to point to Poizner’s less than stellar Republican credentials. He has been termed everything but a conservative for the last 5 years.

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Will the Real Republican Please Stand Up?”

Budget - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Education - Illinois - Jobs - Liberals - Media Bias - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

Illinois: New Gov. Same Old Garbage

May 20, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A Pandering, Union suck-up that wants to soak the rich. Is this guy any different than the last guy?

Did you know that unless we pass Replacement Governor Pat Quinn’s union appeasing, pension stuffing budget, Illinois prison doors will be opened for a flood of dangerous criminals to walk free? Did you know that the old and infirm will be left to die in the streets? Did you know that all our teachers will be sent home never to teach again? The busses will stop, health care will end, local governments will lose state aid, locusts will descend from the skies, we will find our skin erupting in boils and disease will plague the state? Did you know it’s doomsday?

Well if you didn’t, Replacement Governor Quinn has been so kind as to have informed us all of the pending doom to the state of Illinois unless he gets his way. Quinn issued his “doomsday budget” warning at an address made yesterday at Chicago’s City Club, a downtown civic organization popular as a platform for city and state politicians to issue political pronouncements. Sadly, the Replacement Governor’s doomsaying is no different than the previous criminal governor we had that did the same thing. It is little else but scare tactics designed to force the legislature to bend to his will.

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Illinois: New Gov. Same Old Garbage”

Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Liberals - Media Bias - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

CAGW’s 2008 Pig Book Released!

April 7, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Citizens Against Government Waste is announcing the release of the 2008 Pig Book.

The Congressional Pig Book (download in pdf format) is CAGW’s annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget. The 2008 Pig Book identified 11,610 projects at a cost of $17.2 billion in the 12 Appropriations Acts for fiscal 2008. A “pork” project is a line-item in an appropriations bill that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose in circumvention of established budgetary procedures. To qualify as pork, a project must meet one of seven criteria that were developed in 1991 by CAGW and the Congressional Porkbusters Coalition.

The latest installment of Citizens Against Government Waste’s (CAGW) 18-year exposé of pork-barrel spending includes $3,000,000 for The First Tee; $1,950,000 for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service; and $188,000 for the Lobster Institute in Maine.

In fiscal year 2008, Congress stuffed 11,610 projects (the second highest total ever) into the 12 appropriations bills worth $17.2 billion. The 11,610 projects represent a 337 percent increase over the 2,658 projects in fiscal year 2007. The $17.2 billion is a 30 percent increase over the fiscal year 2007 total of $13.2 billion. Only the Defense and Homeland Security bills included earmarks in fiscal year 2007, so comparisons of other bills are made between fiscal years 2008 and 2006. Total pork identified by CAGW since 1991 adds up to $271 billion.

Visit the CAGW site to read a longer summary of the wasteful, pork spending perpetrated by Congress in 2008.

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CAGW’s 2008 Pig Book Released!”

00Publius Contributor - Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - News - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Senator Tom Coburn (R OK), Hero of Cutting Gov’t Spending

July 28, 2008 by

I don’t usually just reprint another website’s article in full, but this one bears repeating.

+++++

Coburn’s cognition

By David Keene, The Hill

Tom Coburn’s Senate colleagues don’t know quite what to make of the doctor from Oklahoma. Many of them find him personally likable, but they can’t understand why he seems to want to change the way the exclusive club to which they all belong has been doing business for so long.

And what’s worse, they have no way of controlling the man. Coburn (R) left the House in 2000 after three terms there because he had voluntarily term-limited himself, and he says that he’ll retire from the Senate after two terms there to go back to practicing medicine in Oklahoma. What that means, of course, is that he won’t be around quite long enough to chair an important committee even if the GOP should retake the Senate at some point — and that, therefore, he doesn’t have to watch his manners lest party leaders squelch his ambitions.
Continue reading “Senator Tom Coburn (R OK), Hero of Cutting Gov’t Spending”