Tons of potholes and this is how Toledo spends our road repair money

Around 8:30 a.m. I heard the sound of loud truck backing up. When I investigated, I found it was a city tar truck. It was having problems and around 9-ish a supervisor showed up and managed to get it working.

Probably sounds like a typical day in the City of Toledo Division of Streets, Harbors and Bridges.

Except the street they were getting ready to work on was a dead-end street in Point Place, used by only 1 household that has a driveway on it.

117th Street as it dead ends at Maumee Bay.

By 9:30, they were finished tarring and putting gravel across this small stretch of road work - and I'd been on the phone with numerous people to complain.

Finished work - isn't it pretty?

It started three years ago when they did the same thing.

I am supposed to be notified by a leaflet or paper at my home. That didn't happen then or now. I was told it was only done every five years. Wrong again.

One problem is that I have to pay for this. The cost is assessed against my property taxes and I have no say in the matter.

My neighbors across the street are great, but they're the only ones who use this "paper street" (according to the city). They pay 1/3 of what I do because their address is on 307th, even though there is no access to their property from that street. Technically, it's frontage for me and a side street for them, which means I pay 2/3 of the cost of the treatment.

My neighbor's "front" yard at the corner of 307th and 117th.

But the worst part about all this is the complete waste of resources.

The work crew, not including an
engineering intern, the crew supervisor
and the tar truck.

The city has no money - it can't balance the operating budget without raiding, over the past several years, nearly $1 million from the capital improvements budget.

The capital budget is strapped because of this and, with the extremely harsh winter, we still have major potholes and roads that are in serious need of attention.

With all that, the street resources - equipment, time, personnel - are being used for the dead-end portion of my street to benefit one home.

Wouldn't a better use have been to fix Ottawa River Road (at Suder) between the BP and Sunoco gas stations? Or if that wasn't in the same budgetary fund, any road that you find a nightmare to drive upon?

This is sheer stupidity. We're not called "Little Detroit" for nothing....

And yes, this definitely qualifies for "stuck on stupid" designation.

Mayoral transition stories hint at bad things to come

Mayor-elect D. Michael Collins 

In looking online at The Blade, I had three important observations I want to share.

The first one deals with the editorial, "Mayor Collins His challenge is to persuade jaded Toledoans that city government can be a vital, positive force in their lives"

As editorials go, it's not bad, though it is the usual Blade telling their endorsed candidate what to do, which is a really a warning should he not follow their instructions.

No, the problem is the premise in the headline that city government can - and should - be a "vital, positive force" in our lives.

Government is not supposed to be any such thing. Governments exist to protect our individual rights. We grant them the opportunity to serve us as we see fit, giving them the authority to provide essential services like road repair, sewers, police and fire which we'd have a hard time doing alone (though when it comes to police, even that is changing).

Government should be seen as a necessary evil - something that must constantly be watched and guarded against lest it becomes too powerful and infringes upon our individual rights and freedom. It should be the last option - not the first choice - when there is a need.

Sadly, both the local paper and too many citizens don't understand this concept, which is probably why the city is stuck on stupid.

The second one deals with the 3/4% payroll income tax which Mayor D. Michael Collins wants to make permanent.

Since the 1980s, Toledo voters have approved this 'temporary' tax every four years. We've granted city council the ability to divert money from the original stated purposes and now use it to fund police, fire, capital improvements ... and yearly deficits.

We like the fact that we have a say every four years for it keeps a level of accountability present in how the city uses the money. If they don't use it properly, we'll take it away from them.

But like so many other things, a temporary solution was relied upon for every-day functions and the city never really makes any attempt to live without it, threatening us with doom and gloom if we fail to continue to grant it to them.

Collins wants to reduce it slightly, but make it a permanent tax. He said "growth in the economy would offset the loss and that Toledo would benefit from the positive signal the reduction would send to the business community." This just demonstrates his ignorance of the business community - and the economy.

Most people won't notice a reduction from 2.25% to 2.2% and business owners know that. The tax isn't paid by the businesses, but by the employees they hire and pay. And he has not mentioned, as far as I can tell, the impact that H.B.5, a revamp of municipal income taxes pending in the House, might have on the city or his plan.

Think about it: we're talking a $15 reduction for a $30,000 salary or a $12.50 reduction on a $25,000 salary. That's not a lot of economic growth when prices are rising.

But Toledoans will probably fall for it. Yes, stuck-on-stupid comes to mind.

The last thing is this quote from the same article:

“I plan to reach out to Dashing Pacific Group through the Regional Growth Partnership and help them develop a plan for the Marina District,” Mr. Collins said.

Did he not see the TV ads? Put out by a Toledoans for Working Families with a Columbus contact - not the Collins campaign - they portrayed a Chinese flag and said “Mike Bell cares more about creating jobs in China than he does here in Toledo.” They also said he sold the Marina District to Chinese investor Dashing Pacific Group Ltd. “for chump change.”

The ad was a direct attack on Dashing Pacific, something that the Chinese culture does not take kindly to. And since Collins refused to repudiate the ads, it's likely he will be seen as complicit.

If this were you, how receptive would you be to any outreach?

Then there is the arrogance - something Collins is well-known for. He wants to help them develop a plan for the property. How does he know there isn't one already or that he is better qualified than them to do so?

These three items are just a mere indication of what is to come - and it doesn't bode well for Toledo.

Toledo election results - stuck on stupid

Has Toledo fallen into a sink hole
from which we will never recover?

I cannot express how disappointed I am in Toledo's election results. We've put back into office the same names, same philosophies and the same stagnation that has us wishing for the 'good ol' days' only to be disappointed - again and again and again.

You know the definition of insanity? Toledo exemplifies it.

The unions and the Blade didn't want Mike Bell to be mayor again, primarily because they couldn't control him. But they fail to realize that he was actually doing good things in the city.

D. Michael Collins ran ads excoriating Bell for his economic development trips to China and for selling the Marina District to business developers who - eek! - don't look like us. What Collins and his supporters failed to realize is that doing so turned the District into a revenue-producing asset (primarily through the property taxes paid) instead of a drain on the city requiring constant upkeep.

No, it's not yet been developed as everyone, including the owners, would like, but at least it's not an albatross hanging around the city's neck like it had been under the previous mayors.

Collins is now between a rock and a hard place. Does he really think the owners of the Marina District are going to want to work with him to actually develop the property? Or will they wait it out until the next election? Or perhaps, like so many other business owners, leave the city altogether?

How will a mayor who criticized the outreach now reach out to those who have the ability to bring companies and jobs to the city?

Did anyone stop to think about that when they were jumping on the bandwagon?

And then there is city council which, except for Sandy Spang (the only bright hope of the night) is nothing but a repeat of old, tired names we've had all along.

Rob Ludeman, Jack Ford, Sandy Spang, Steven Steel, Theresa M. Gabriel and either Adam Martinez or Larry Sykes will be our at-large representatives on council. But even Gabriel isn't for certain. Only 75 votes separate her from Martinez, who is only 34 votes ahead of Sykes. The results are unofficial and I'm sure there are provisional ballots which were cast so it's really to early for any of the three to be celebrating.

But for Toledoans, it doesn't really matter. They're what we already have in terms of philosophy and approach - and at least two of them are names we've seen and heard over and over and over again. I have to wonder, though, if Sykes thinks not running for re-election to the school board was a bad idea. He was pretty much assured of that seat.

We've gone back to Jack Ford - again. He was first elected to City Council in 1993, the year I was elected clerk of Toledo Municipal Court. He then served as mayor (between Carty Finkbeiner stints) and then went to the school board. I think he also did a term in the state legislature - hard to keep track of the offices he's jumped to and from. He was so bad as mayor that Finkbeiner, whom he defeated after two terms, was able to get elected again. The joke was that we were on a pendulum swinging between crazy and lazy and definitely preferred the crazy side, which is why we back to Carty.

You'd think we'd learn our lesson. Apparently not.

And Gabriel, if she is elected, is an old Finkbeiner ally having served in his cabinet, but also appears to get along well with Ford.

Rumor has it that Finkbeiner is interested in being appointed to fill the district seat Collins will vacate when he's sworn in as mayor. Can it be any worse for Toledo? These are the same people who led us to our current decline/stagnation, but they're old (both physically and in length of time in the public eye) and must be familiar. We just seem to have a disconnect between the people and the policies they advocate which keep earning us the name of 'little Detroit.'

Then there is the Toledo School School board. Bob Vasquez was the top vote-getter which is not surprising considering he was the only incumbent. I like Bob. I've always respected his service on boards and commissions, even when I might have disagreed with him - which wasn't as often as some may think. At TPS I believe he pays good attention to the financial aspects of the school district and he was an early supporter of the performance audit I pushed for. Again, we don't always agree, but I think he's better than most when it comes to an elected official.

But who fills the two vacant seats? Polly Gerken-Taylor, wife of sitting County Commissioner and former Toledo Councilman Pete Gerken and, until now, a perennial candidate ... and Chris Varwig. a long-time TPS volunteer who says she wants to be an advocate for parents and has no desire to run for city council. She may be the second bright hope - if she doesn't get railroaded by the politics inherent in the system. My hope is that she will find allies in Vasquez and fellow board member Dr. Cecelia Adams.at

As for Polly (because the hyphenated name is just too much), the primary thing she has going for her is her husband's name and unions. Then there was her ridiculous campaign slogan, "now is the time." For what? For her to finally get into public office? She didn't campaign for anything other than what the board has always done. And our test scores, declining enrollment and general failure of the schools is the result. No wonder parents send their kids elsewhere.

On a good note, Josh Lanzinger was elected judge of the Toledo Municipal Court. He'd been appointed to the position and was able to keep it, primarily through the limited incumbency, but also because of the extremely familiar name (his mom is Supreme Court Justice Lanzinger with a long successful history of election in Lucas County). He'll most likely keep the seat for as long as he wants it.

But that's about all...

Let me share with you some of the comments from my Facebook friends:

"Toledoans will elect and reelect the same names and faces that have presided over Toledo's decline for decades...and then complain that it keeps getting worse."

"What's funny Maggie is people in Toledo acting like there is "change" or we will some how move out of the status quo... yes they have said that... but they keep voting the same status crap in."

"Toledo Businesses are voting,... on their way out. Is it any mystery Maggie, that we builders and developers are putting up new houses and subdivisions in the surrounding area and not into Toledo. Failing schools, failing philosophy. Who with a clue wants to live there?"

followed immediately by:

"This is why I will never expand my business to Toledo."

And then this from dear friend and fellow blogger Tim Higgins:

"Perhaps Toledo can put in for designation as a "Green City" for all of the candidate recycling that it did this election."

Maybe, but it won't help. As Sam and I have said for decades: Toledo is like a drug addict who hasn't yet hit rock bottom to know it needs to change.

"Toledo.... the future Detroit of Ohio."

Indeed. :(

btw: this DEFINITELY qualifies for 'stuck on stupid' though now I'm wondering just how stupid am I that I stay....

Toledo's $5 million surplus is really a $4 million deficit!

On Thursday, Toledo Mayor Mike Bell announced that the city had a $5.08 million surplus at the end of 2012.

But the 2012 budget called for $12 million to be transferred from the Capital Improvement Program fund (CIP) into the General Fund to pay for the yearly expenses.

When the budget was finalized, that transfer amount was increased to $13 million.

According to Jennifer Sorgenfrei, the city's public information officer, the total amount actually transferred into the General Fund was $9 million.

So - $9 million raided from the CIP to cover yearly costs and $5 million left over means that the city actually had a $4 million deficit.

Despite taking in more $3 million more than they expected and having $6 million less expenses than they planned, they still had to raid the CIP to cover their overspending.

And overspending it is when the outlay is greater than the income.

So, they've got $5 million left over - but that's just money that never should have been taken out of the CIP in the first place.

What will council do with this $5.08 million???

They should return it to the CIP - and plan to replace the $59 million total they've taken out of the fund that is supposed to pay for long-term projects likes roads and buildings, vehicles and infrastructure.

But they won't. They'll spend it, of course.

Faced with a choice of returning the money to the CIP or spending it on their own pet projects, our council members have shown that they always choose their own pet projects over the interests of the taxpayer.

Only in Toledo is an actual deficit characterized as a budget surplus and only here is that cause for even more spending.

Can you say 'stuck on stupid'???

How long will Republicans tolerate such incompetence?

I just want to know how long Republicans in Lucas County are going to tolerate such incompetence from Jon Stainbrook, the chairman of the Lucas County Republican Party?

We have a chairman whose only success is getting enough of his supporters elected to the Central Committee and then getting them to show up to vote for him as chairman. In all other aspects of the job, he has failed miserably.

The top three priorities of a party chairman are:

1) raise money for the party and its candidates
2) recruit and elect good candidates
3) be the voice of the principles of the party

Stainbrook has done none of these.

When, if ever, have you heard him quoted in the news expressing support for the core principles of the Republican Party - or opposing any action promoted by the left?

When he is in the news it's usually because he's suing fellow Republicans or bashing fellow Republicans. Or he's doing something ridiculous like ignoring the Secretary of State's recommendation to fire the Board of Elections director and assistant director and, instead, making a motion to keep them and fire everyone else in the office.

Or he's voting AGAINST a motion to prohibit secretly recording conversations in the BOE. Seriously? What kind of party chairman votes against something like that?!?

(obviously, one known for secretly recording conversations...)

When there was a vacant Toledo City Council position, he threw in the towel - before the fight for the seat even began:

"...there isn’t anything the Republican Party can do to derail the appointment."

Actually, there was. Stainbrook could have been all over the news demanding that a placeholder - someone who wasn't going to run for the seat - be appointed until the election this year. I laid out a comprehensive strategy that would have set the stage on an important issue for our candidates this November.

Sadly, Stainbrook missed a wonderful opportunity for Republicans and demonstrated, again, his utter lack of understanding of the role of the 'loyal opposition' in a Democrat-dominated Toledo.

As for recruiting and electing Republicans, well, the lack of success is pretty telling.

Yes, they have had candidates, but many of them complain that the party did nothing to help them.

It used to be that you could rely upon the party for some initial funds - perhaps enough to get a small postcard or flyer to hand out. The party would compile and events calendar so candidates wouldn't miss an important opportunity to meet-and-greet. They would hold weekly candidate meetings to plan the upcoming week and ensure that two candidates didn't hold press conferences on the same day. They provided advice strategic planning on everything from press releases to message development.

None of that happens under this chairman. Not all candidates complain about the lack of party support, but the new ones don't know what they don't know. They've not seen a fully-functioning GOP and don't know what they're missing in terms of potential support.

And where are our candidates for this year??? This is a local election year. City council, mayoral and school board seats are on the ballot for November. There is absolutely nothing on the party's web page about being a candidate, screening potential candidates or...well...anything whatsoever related to the upcoming election.

As for the county website...He can even keep the LCRP website current! Here's a link to a screen shot of www.lucascountygop.org. As you can see, it's been at least three months since it was update as the only item on the page is the advertisement for the Lincoln Day Dinner - which was on Feb. 21st.

I wonder how long the web page will remain like this? In 2011, the Lincoln Day Dinner was April 7th and on August 29th, they still had that notice up. That's five months without updating their web page!

He hasn't raised any money and what money he does raise from events like the annual Lincoln Day Dinner go toward paying for his own personal campaign for state central committee. Just how much party money did he spend on his own PERSONAL campaign for State Central Committee? His personal mini-billboards were also paid for by the LCRP. And why would you need mini-billboards for a state central committee position in the first place? Certainly other candidates on the ballot have not received such support for their races that Stainbrook provided for his own.

He's paid for a parliamentarian (usually a check for $1,000), security, lawyers, numerous reimbursements to himself, Meghan Gallaher and other known FoS (Friends of Stainbrook) - often without detailed accounting of what they are for. The amount of money spent on candidates is negligible compared to the amount spent on himself.

The Oct. 25, 2012 campaign finance report showed the party had just over $2,000 and, despite showing three different purchases of yard signs, showed only one of those purchases as an in-kind contribution to a commissioner candidate. But you should know, $614.46 doesn't go very far when you're purchasing yard signs for a county-wide race.

The Dec. 14, 2012 Post General Report showed about $7,000 on hand. Interestingly, the party raised just under $9,000 between the pre-general and post-general report, with over half the amount ($5,395) coming in on Nov. 7th, the day after the election.

How did the party spend that money? Most of it went to the costs of the headquarters, but they did purchase $744 worth of signs, though it doesn't say who the signs were for. Oh, and Stainbrook was reimbursed $1,208.04 - again, without online documentation for what was being paid.

The finance report also shows the party owes $6,000 for a loan from Jim Brennan, Jr. It was a $10,000 loan taken on Jan. 20, 2011 and they've owed $6,000 for quite a while now. So it's essentially broke.

There was the previously mentioned Lincoln Day Dinner with Gov. John Kasich and we won't know how much was raised or spent until after the semi-annual reports are filed in July. But my guess is that any money raised will not go primarily to candidates - or be saved for candidates for this year's election.

So on the the primary duties of a chairman, Stainbrook's performance is dismal at best.

But that's not all.

He's a hypocrite.

Without consulting with the party, he took it upon himself to demand the resignation of the state party chairman and signed a letter stating he was speaking for all Republicans in Lucas County.

He's had numerous issues with signatures that don't match on various legal filings, including campaign finance reports for the party and in one of the races for state central committee.

Then there is his dereliction of duty to the voters of Lucas County.

There is a vacant judge seat on Common Pleas Court. The other judges are handling increased case loads and the citizens of the county are being deprived of a judge all because Stainbrook has not scheduled a screening for the known applicants for the position. The local party needs to screen the applicants and then recommend at least one of them to the governor for him to appoint. These applicants were told in early February by Stainbrook that the screening would take place after the Lincoln Day Dinner, but so far - nothing.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. So how long are Lucas County Republicans going to tolerate such incompetence?

As The Elections Board Turns

Yes, it's a soap opera at the Lucas County Board of Elections, but unlike the TV version, this one has real-world implications for the future of the fair and impartial management of our voting system.

Let's recap some of the characters and story lines of our soap opera:

In a stunning display of brilliant community organizing, our lead character, Jon Stainbrook, manages to take over the Lucas County Republican Party. Unbeknownst to most, though, his real reason for doing so was not the election of Republicans and the advancement of Republican and conservative ideals. No, it was revenge...to exact revenge and retaliation on anybody and everybody who he ever perceived slighted him in any way. He looks the hero, but he's really the villain in this drama.

Stainbrook's sometimes girlfriend (as she has been identified in numerous news reports), Meghan Gallagher, is elected chairman of the LCRP central committee. This position is supposed to recruit and train the members of the central committee - the 'boots on the ground' portion of the party. The elected members of the central committee are supposed to represent their voting precincts and be the communicators between the party structure and the Republicans in the area. They're also the ones responsible for helping to collect signatures on petitions for candidates, going door-to-door, handing out yard signs and making sure the Republicans in their district turn out on election day.

In another story line, Stainbrook - desperate for the pay and PERS benefits associated with being a member of the Board of Elections - struggles to oust two extremely qualified individuals from the BOE in order to gain the seat for himself. He claims it's all about fixing the problems at the BOE, most of which are exaggerated by him and The Blade, but it sounds good to the people and makes for good articles in The Blade to prop him up as the solution to all the woes. After lawsuits and intimidation and innuendo, he succeeds in getting the appointment.

But that's not all...he names Gallagher as the Executive Director to ensure all that he wants to accomplish can be done. With his sometimes girlfriend in charge, he proceeds to get rid of people he doesn't like, firing long-time employees and installing his own crew, some of whom, it is rumored, became members of the central committee and voted for him in return for the promise of employment at the BOE.

Also hired was Gina Kaczala. Her husband Larry was County Auditor and a candidate for Congress. His tragic death in an apparent leap from a parking garage left many stunned and saddened by his loss. Widow Gina, with Stainbrook as her party chairman, ran for the County Auditor position but was defeated. Just to make things interesting, Stainbrook used to work for Larry, but was fired and then ran against him for in the primary for the County Auditor seat. You know politics makes for strange bedfellows....

Then there is Anthony DeGidio, an attorney who first entered our story as the lawyer representing Stainbrook and Gallagher on their many court challenges both against fellow Republicans and in other, unrelated cases. DeGidio was Stainbrook's choice for the second Republican seat on the BOE.

That's the major cast of characters and the general plot line of our soap opera, but it wouldn't be a soap without drama and drama seems to follow Stainbrook and his cronies wherever they go.

* lawsuits by former BOE employees
* questionable activity between Stainbrook and Gallagher in a stopped car
* theft of drugs from a hospital patient

Then there is the 'close, personal relationship' with John Robinson Block, the publisher of The Blade - a relationship Stainbrook has bragged about for years. Many speculate that the favorable media coverage Stainbrook gets is due to that relationship, but others believe it has more to do with the fact that Stainbrook must 'have something incriminating' against JRB, as he's known.

Stainbrook loved to brag that he used to 'set JRB up with girls' back in his younger days. Couple that with his known reputation for secretly recording conversations and editing the tapes to make it seem like the other party said something they didn't and you'll understand why people believe the speculation.

As any watcher of a soap opera will tell you, it's not drama without the friends becoming enemies after some event. Usually it's 'he slept with my sister' sort of thing, but with Stainbrook, it's 'he dared to disagree with me' that results in Friends of Stainbrook (FoS) becoming an enemy.

DeGidio is the latest in that long line of people.

First there was a review of the BOE by the Secretary of State who is responsible for overseeing elections in Ohio. Stainbrook's reaction to the recommendation that Gallager (and the Democrat assistant director) be fired was to keep the two of them and fire everyone else.

DeGidio disagree...and thus began Stainbrook's attempt to oust him from the board. But DeGidio knows things too...will he tell all in his defense of his seat?

Then came the legal challenge to DeGidio's residency - and the appearance of two more characters, including another 'sometimes girlfriend' Kelly Bensman. And also the professional challenge as Gallagher filed an ethics complaint against DeGidio, her attorney in a car accident lawsuit, thus preventing DeGidio from voting on firing her.

While all this is going on, Stainbrook is not raising money for the party (a primary duty of a chairman) and he's violating the bylaws by refusing to notify past chairmen of executive committee meetings. Of course, the past chairman not being notified is the same individual he tried to kick off the BOE...as you know, everyone and everything in a soap opera is interconnected.

And just yesterday, a new twist arose. John Irish, a past party chairman of the Lucas County Democratic Party and new member of the BOE, introduced a new policy at the BOE meeting forbidding the unauthorized recording of conversations. ZING! Stainbrook voted against the policy - wonder why?

It was also revealed the Kazcala filed a harassment complaint against Gallagher. The board voted 3-1 to refer the investigation to the county's human resources department. Stainbrook voted no on that as well.

Enter Stainbrook's persecution complex - it's all about trying to get rid of him and Gallagher - there's nothing to any of this and it's all political.

So now you're primarily caught up on the various story lines and ready for the next episode.

Will Stainbrook manage to succeed in getting a second challenge to DeGidio's residency heard by the board?

Will Gallagher be found guilty of harassment?

Will Kaczala and DeGidio join together to write a best-selling tell-all book about their experiences with Stainbrook?

Will The Blade grow weary of this and turn on Stainbrook?

Will the Republicans manage to get an actual chairman more focused on the party than personal vendettas?

Will Gallagher be blamed for the blank audio recording of the last meeting? (that's one you didn't know about) And was there something on that audio tape that might have proved incriminating to someone?

Will the board follow the recommendations of the Secretary of State and fire Gallagher and Dan DeAngelis, the assistant director?

Will the board remember that they gave Gallagher and DeAngelis until yesterday's meeting to finalize a working organizational chart or face possible firing?

Stay tuned for the next episode of As the Election Board Turns....

Student Loan Fairness Act: America - what have you wrought?!?

I'm not a subscriber to MoveOn.org but several friends are and they forwarded me a recent email from Robert Applebaum, a MoveOn member in Staten Island, who created a petition on SignOn.org.

You've never heard of Applebaum? He's the founder of an organization called StudentDebtCrisis.org.

The complete email is below, but here are a couple of excerpts:

Student loan debt now exceeds $1 trillion. Millions are buried under student debt, forced to put off major purchases and life decisions.

Put off major purchases?!? Oh, the humanity!

Let's put this in perspective: students voluntarily took on huge amounts of debt for schooling, choosing to borrow instead of working to pay for their college educations - you know, like of many of used to do.

They then graduate and have to begin paying off that debt. But, because they have financial obligations, they have to make choices and that means they can't go out and purchase a new car or a new TV, or a new anything because they're expected to cover this obligation before taking on others?

Why is that a bad thing? Isn't that called 'life' and part of being an adult?

The good news is that this week, legislation has been reintroduced in Congress that would provide student loan forgiveness to responsible borrowers drowning in debt.

How in the world can you be called a 'responsible borrower' if you are drowning in debt?

Wouldn't the fact that you are "drowning" in so much debt clearly indicate that you weren't very responsible about your borrowing in the first place?!?

The Student Loan Fairness Act would create a new "10-10" standard for student loan repayment, in which an individual would be required to make ten years of payments at 10% of their discretionary income, after which their remaining student loan debt would be forgiven.

So if I pay 10% of my "discretionary" income toward my loan for 10 years, I won't have to pay anything else on it forever?

What a bargain!

And why in the world would any college student, educated in today's schools that teach self-gratification and dependency on government, ever pay more? Why would they make sacrifices of 'major purchases' if they know they can skate by with paying only 10% of their discretionary income?

If all they have to pay is 10%,why pay more? That would be foolish!

And only 10% of their discretionary income?

That means they can spend as much as they want on a house or apartment, food, utilities, etc... They won't be forced to balance their desire for a larger place to live with their ability to pay all their financial obligations. They won't be forced to eat hamburger instead of steak for dinner. They won't be forced to wear sweaters in the winter or go without air conditioning in the summer in order to keep their utility bills lower.

In other words, they won't be forced to make the same decisions adults have always been forced to make, learning to balance their ability to pay with their wants and desires.

Is this really the lesson we want new adults in our (supposedly) productive society to embrace?

"Further, this legislation would...allow those eligible to convert their private loan debt into federal direct loans

Why? Why would we want students who have private loans to convert them to government loans? Would the bank that issued the private loans be paid off with tax dollars? And then the tax payers would never be paid back???

And what about our huge national debt? Won't putting more college students on the government rolls negatively impact the nation's debt?

What about the sequester? According to President Barack Obama, there's not enough money so he had to end tours of the White House - the people's house. We don't have enough money for air traffic controllers - clearly a vital service to the nation and our economy - but we have the funds to add more people to the government student loan program only to allow them to never repay the debt?!?

In what world would this ever make sense?

And yes, this definitely qualifies for 'stuck-on-stupid' designation!

Student loan debt causes an undeniable and significant drag on the economy. The Student Loan Fairness Act directly addresses this enormous boot on the neck of the middle class and represents a glimmer of hope for millions of Americans who, with each passing day, find that the American Dream is more and more out of reach.

It may be true that having to pay student loans causes a drag on the economy. The 'logic' is that having to pay back the money borrowed means the student isn't spending elsewhere, and without that elsewhere spending, the economy suffers.

What is never mentioned is the loss to the economy when the taxpayer, the original supplier of the funds, had to pay extra money to the federal government to provide the funds to be borrowed in the first place.

I had to forgo spending and helping the economy in order to pay taxes that are higher than necessary because of the need to fund this government program.

Now 'they' want to complain that repaying that money will hurt the economy? Providing the money in the first place hurt the economy - where was the concern for the economy then?

In a normal world, a student would get a private loan. Under this process, a bank would accept deposits from people in the community, pool those resources, loan the funds for various purposes, charge an interest rate and collect repayment over time.

The bank would then turn around and pay part of that interest back to the original depositors, who would then have additional funds to spend.

The government action distorts and perverts the normal process of money movement - and this act would corrupt the process even further, if that's actually possible.

So far over 200,000 people have signed the petition supporting the bill

Of course they have! They don't want to be responsible for the meeting the obligations they've incurred.

And why would they? We've grown generations who have been trained to believe that nothing is their fault; they are the victim of some evil entity; government will take care of them so they don't have to take care of themselves.

And this doesn't even get into the choice of majors with so many graduating from college with degrees that won't help them get a job or support themselves.

Nor does it delve into the Orwellian Newspeak (control the language) efforts of naming this horribly unfair and economic perversion the "Student Loan Fairness Act."

Oh, America, what have you wrought?



Here is the complete email:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Robert Applebaum <moveon-help@list.moveon.org>
Date: Mon, Apr 22, 2013 at 4:20 PM
Subject: Support the new Student Loan Forgiveness Act

Below is an email from Robert Applebaum, a MoveOn member in Staten Island, New York, who created a petition on SignOn.org. Robert is also the founder of the organization StudentDebtCrisis.org.

---

Dear MoveOn member,

Student loan debt now exceeds $1 trillion. Millions are buried under student debt, forced to put off major purchases and life decisions.

In short, student loan debt has become the latest financial crisis in America. If we do absolutely nothing, the entire economy will eventually come crashing down again, just as it did when the housing bubble popped.

The good news is that this week, legislation has been reintroduced in Congress that would provide student loan forgiveness to responsible borrowers drowning in debt. So far over 200,000 people have signed the petition supporting the bill. Will you sign and share it with your friends?

Click here to support the Student Loan Fairness Act, which would provide loan forgiveness for borrowers drowning in student debt.

The Student Loan Fairness Act would create a new "10-10" standard for student loan repayment, in which an individual would be required to make ten years of payments at 10% of their discretionary income, after which their remaining student loan debt would be forgiven. Further, this legislation would:

• ensure low interest rates;
• allow those eligible to convert their private loan debt into federal direct loans;
• reward graduates for entering public service professions;
• provide a lifeline for student borrowers who have fallen on difficult times;
• encourage delinquent and defaulted borrowers to re-enter repayment;
• replace the current, ten-year "Standard Repayment Plan" for the full amount of the loan balance with the "10-10" plan as the default repayment option for borrowers entering repayment.

Student loan debt causes an undeniable and significant drag on the economy. The Student Loan Fairness Act directly addresses this enormous boot on the neck of the middle class and represents a glimmer of hope for millions of Americans who, with each passing day, find that the American Dream is more and more out of reach. 

Click here to sign the petition in favor of the Student Loan Fairness Act.

Thanks!

–Robert Applebaum, StudentDebtCrisis.org

This petition was created on SignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org is sponsored by MoveOn Civic Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. Robert Applebaum, StudentDebtCrisis.org didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

Blade bias, Board of Elections and abuse of process

or otherwise titled:

Everything you didn't want to know about what's going on at the Lucas County Board of Elections

Alas, it should come as no surprise that news coverage of the recent brouhaha at the Board of Elections is biased. The Blade, for whatever reason, continues to support Lucas County Republican Chairman and BOE board member Jon Stainbrook.

People have wondered for years what Stainbrook might have on publisher John Robinson Block to make the man so supportive of Stainbrook, who some go so far as to call a sociopath.

Sadly, the voters of Lucas County - all of them, regardless of political affiliation or lack thereof - are the ones to suffer.

Let's recap, in case you've been otherwise occupied...

Jon Stainbrook engineers a majority of central committee members and gets himself elected as chairman of the Lucas County GOP. After years of struggle (I'm not exaggerating), he manages to finally get himself appointed to the Board of Elections. He also gets someone he believes will be his crony, Anthony DeGidio, appointed as the second Republican on the four-member board.

Along the way, he tries to fire everyone at the BOE he deems an enemy. Several individuals were his victims. Then he gets his 'sometimes girlfriend' (as The Blade identified her numerous times) appointed at the director of the BOE. No conflict of interest there, I'm sure (which is important as you will read in a moment).

Together, they announce they're going to 'clean up the board.' But that's hardly what is happening.

Instead, they're using the BOE and its resources to continue to go after those Stainbrook has deemed 'enemy.' And Stainbrook loves to hold a grudge, never forgetting a perceived slight or wrong.

But then comes the Secretary of State who oversees all the voting - and the local Boards of Election - in the state. They realize things are amiss in Lucas County and send in a Republican and a Democrat to take a look and make recommendations.

Not surprisingly, the report they issued calls for Gallagher and the Democratic assistant director to be fired.

This does not sit well with Stainbrook - for without his FoS (friend of Stainbrook) in the director position, how can he fulfill his vendettas? Plus, if rumor is to be believed, she shares income and earnings with him and I'm sure neither of them want to go without her $85,000+ salary.

What did surprise everyone, though, including his fellow Republican board member DeGidio, was Stainbrook's motion when the SoS report came before the full board.

Stainbrook made a motion to fire everyone at the board EXCEPT the two recommended by the report.

Seriously.

The motion did not get a second, but discussion did follow. After a brief recess, the board returned and no other action regarding the report was taken.

I can only imagine the conversation - more likely bullying - Stainbrook did during that recess to try to get DeGidio to second his motion.

I also presume that was the point at which DeGidio stopped being a FoS and became an enemy - and a target.

Suddenly, DeGidio is persona non grata and must be removed from the Board of Elections.

He doesn't live in the county.

He has a young, Filipino girlfriend.

He has an ethics complaint against him at the Supreme Court (which has nothing to do with his eligibility to serve on the BOE, but is apparently just cause for removal in Stainbrook's eyes).

And in case you missed it, let's repeat all those things until you believe DeGidio is an evil, evil man who must be removed from the BOE so we can avoid the zombie apocalypse.

Enter John Marshall, another FoS and failed candidate for Lucas County Commissioner.

Marshall files a challenge to DeGidio's eligibility to vote in Lucas County. He produces, according to The Blade, hundreds of pages of so-called 'proof' that DeGidio doesn't reside in Lucas County. Some of the 'proof' was before DeGidio was even on the elections board, so it was irrelevant to the challenge.

But all the so-called evidence was not enough to overcome a Supreme Court ruling about residency that says regardless of where you might stay/live on a temporary basis, it is your intent to be a voting resident of your home county that matters. (The Court said a lot more, but you get the drift.)

Accordingly, the BOE voted 2-1 against the challenge, with the two Democrats voting to dismiss it and only Stainbrook voting to uphold it. DeGidio wasn't present - and couldn't have voted anyway - though he was represented by an attorney for the hearing.

Here's where The Blade comes in, right on cue to join with the character assassination so desired by Stainbrook.

First came the article that Stainbrook wanted DeGidio off the Board, alleging all sorts of evil things (see list above).

Then came the story about the official complaint by Marshall.

Then came two stories (here and here) about the board's vote to dismiss the complaint.

Then, despite a rather firm decision, The Blade attempts to make readers 'question' the decision with yet another article raising - you guessed it - 'questions.'

It's a long sordid story, but necessary to go over the details so you can see why various information being omitted in the Blade coverage is vital to truly understanding what is going on in this most important government agency.

In reporting on the hearing, The Blade wrote:

Attorney James Perlman, who represented Mr. DeGidio at the hearing, tried to cross-examine Mr. Marshall and the legitimacy of the documents several times, but Mr. Marshall refused to answer any of the attorney's questions. Mr. DeGidio did not attend the hearing. "I'm not going to talk to you anymore," Mr. Marshall said when asked how he obtained such things as Mr. DeGidio's insurance records.

When Mr. Rothenbuler explained that cross-examination is part of the hearing process, Mr. Marshall told him, "I'm not going to answer his questions."

Mr. Marshall did acknowledge to Mr. Perlman that he launched an investigation of Mr. DeGidio after speaking with Mr. Stainbrook and Meghan Gallagher, the Board of Elections' director.

Further down in the article, is this:

Mr. Stainbrook expressed frustration with the board's decision. He said Mr. DeGidio's absence from the hearing undermined the proceedings because Mr. Marshall couldn't question him.

Did reporter Federico Martinez bother to ask Stainbrook why he didn't then object to Marshall refusing to answer questions from DeGidio's attorney? Isn't that a double standard for Stainbrook? Where is that coverage?

Then there is this, from the 'questions' article that says the decided residency issue isn't over (though I'm pretty sure it is).

Evidence produced by Mr. Marshall, through subpoenas issued by the elections board...

"Subpoenas" - plural???

Since when do staff members at the Board of Elections have the authority - without direction from the board itself - to issue subpoenas???

Why isn't this questioned by DeGidio's attorney and the Democrat members of the board - and The Blade?

Mr. Stainbrook, a former ally of Mr. DeGidio, said he felt it was his duty to tell Mr. DeGidio to move back to Lucas County.

I understand that Stainbrook has known all along about DeGidio's back and forth between Lucas County and his parents due to his parents' age and health. Why doesn't the reporter ask Stainbrook how long he's known about this issue and why it's just now an issue? Why doesn't the reporter ask Stainbrook if all this is just being brought up because DeGidio wouldn't second his motion to fire the entire staff rather than Gallagher and the Democrat assistant director.

Aren't those very valid questions to ask and extremely pertinent to the story?

The article references log-ins to DeGidio's BOE email, with only six of the 88 being from an Internet address within Lucas County. Did Marshall file a public records request to obtain that information or did BOE staff provide it to him in an effort to get rid of one of their bosses?

How much time did BOE staff spend on assisting Marshall with his challenge?

If the reporter is going to list all the documents and say they 'raise questions' why didn't he also ask how much BOE time employees and resources were used?

The challenge was by Marshall not the BOE. Because of this, the BOE is limited by statute to investigating only whether or not DeGidio was on the records at a proper address. The rest is supposed to be prepared by Marshall as the challenger to the voting eligibility.

Why doesn't The Blade mention that Marshall was assisted throughout the hearing by Kelly Bensman, another FoS? In fact:

Turns out Marshall was responsible for almost nothing. Someone else had assembled all the information he was presenting and was sitting next to him handing it to him.

Clearly it would not do for Bensman to have filed the challenge - that would be too obvious.

In fact, Marshall even said during the hearing that he didn't care about challenging DeGidio's right to vote but just wanted to get DeGidio off the board.

But that presents another serious problem for Marshall: abuse of process.

Abuse of process is where a legal process is used for an unlawful purpose.

Doesn't using a residency challenge to someone's right to vote in order to get them thrown off a Board of Elections because they won't agree with another board member fit that description?

And if Stainbrook has known all along about DeGidio's care of his parents and that it didn't have anything to do with voting residency but instructed Marshall to file the challenge, is Stainbrook also not guilty of abuse of process? What did he know and when did he know it?

What about BOE staff improperly using subpoena authority to get rid of one of their bosses?

I know I've developed a reputation for asking good questions, but why isn't anyone else asking about these things?

Clearly, we can't expect The Blade to do so, but surely the Secretary of State should be wondering.

There's another matter as well: Gallagher's grievance complaint with the local Bar Association against DeGidio, her attorney on a injury lawsuit.

Apparently, DeGidio, who has represented Gallagher, Stainbrook and Bensman in various lawsuits in the past - hence the title FoS - had filed suit on behalf of Gallagher over a car accident where she was hit from behind. The suit for $25,0000 claims:

* Gallagher has suffered - and continues to suffer -" headaches, numbness, stiffness, limitations in movement and pain with movement" as a result of injuries to her shoulder, neck and head in the accident.

* Gallagher has suffered "permanent physical injury and will continue to experience severe pain and suffering for the rest of her normal life."

* Gallagher will "suffer life-long pain and suffering and will require life long medical treatment."

One wonders how she can manage to work at the BOE?

Interestingly, on March 5th, DeGidio requested to withdraw as her attorney. His filing says notified her three times - in March 2012, November 2012 and January, 2013 - that he needed to withdraw and that she needed to find a new attorney to represent her in the case. On March 3rd, he emailed her and told her that he could no longer wait for her to find a new attorney, filing the motion to withdraw two days later.

The nature of the grievance against DeGidio is confidential, but the effect is very public. With DeGidio facing a grievance, he has a conflict of interest with Gallagher and cannot ethically vote to fire her.

What I want to know is this: when did Gallagher learn the SoS report was going to recommend her firing and when did she file the grievance against DeGidio to 'conflict him out' of the vote? I'm certain the two directors were notified before the report was made public so they would not be surprised by the findings and the recommendation. Is this another abuse of process?

And if DeGidio has a conflict of interest because of the grievance complaint, doesn't Stainbrook also have a conflict of interest if Gallagher is his 'sometimes girlfriend' and if he accepts monetary support from her as is rumored?

See, told you that conflict of interest would be important, especially because Stainbrook and Gallagher have denied a relationship, but no one at The Blade chose to research what they previously had documented about the two.

Clearly, there are conflicts all around.

The bottom line

Stainbrook should be removed from the BOE. DeGidio, with his on-going health problems and need to care for his parents and himself, should probably step down. But he shouldn't do so when Stainbrook will be responsible for naming his replacement.

The SoS recommendation to fire Gallagher and the Democrat assistant direct needs to accepted and the two need to go.

The SoS needs to bypass the local GOP in order to name two new Republican board members.

Stayed tuned...there is certainly more to come!

New TARTA hub won't spur revitalized downtown

The Toledo Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) and the City of Toledo would like to build a new hub for transfers on the bus system. The cost would be $24 million - at least, that's what they estimate today, though it is certain to be higher by the 2016 completion date.

The Toledo Blade thinks this is a wonderful idea because it would spur revitalization of the downtown area. They write in their editorial:

"...the proposed transit center could be a key element of downtown Toledo’s revitalization. The project is worth pursuing."

How many times have we heard this? Portside, The Docks, the Marina Project, a new sports arena, Promenade Park...the list of publicly funded projects that will revitalize our downtown seems to be endless. And yet, here we are with yet another.

We are constantly being told that *this* will be the one. This is all we need and we'll return downtown Toledo to its former glory days. And yes, in case you were wondering, this does qualify for stuck-on-stupid designation.

Not surprisingly, these projects never actually do any of the 'revitalizing' the promoters promise they will.

This is not to say that some of the projects are not good ideas - nor that they are not successful. But many, like the new Huntington arena which is successful so far, do not create NEW spending or growth. They just redistribute it from other establishments and areas.

Both Huntington Center and 5/3 Field have brought people to the downtown area. Eateries and other types of establishments have followed. But for every new place around these two facilities that has opened, others (perhaps multiple others) have closed.

There is no net gain in the county in terms of number of new businesses, employment or spending as a result of having these two new sports venues.

Sales taxes, which are key indicator of spending in the county, did not see increases as a result of these two facilities, either.

So what makes anyone think that a new TARTA bus station is going to somehow miraculously change the current activity in downtown Toledo?

Are people suddenly going to start taking the bus just so they can stop at the new hub? (I'll pause here so you can catch your breath from laughing so hard...)

The plan is to get the federal government to pay for 80% of the funding. Yes, TARTA and city officials think our broke, out-of-money, heavily-indebted federal government can pony up the dough for this boondoggle. You can pick yourself up off the floor now.

Will any special requirements or mandates come with any funding they might be able to eke out? Probably yes - and it will most likely be in the form of ridership.

Would TARTA revamp their routes to force more people into transfers downtown? That's already the number one concern from suburban communities - that they are forced to spend unnecessary time on a bus so it an come downtown before going back out to another suburban community (the whole wheel/spokes/hub concept). In fact, that is why many of the communities are opting out of TARTA - because it doesn't meet the needs of the suburban riders in terms of direct routes to where they want to go.

How many more communities would opt out if federal funding for a new transfer station would result in more routes being shunted to a downtown hub? No matter how nice they make it, I doubt it would be enough to justify extra time on a bus for a suburban rider.

Clearly a new bus station hub is not going to be a "key element of downtown's revitalization," no matter how much The Blade, local politicians or the woefully inadequate TARTA board may hope it will be.

The only thing that will revitalize anything in this city is the private sector. A thriving private sector will hire people who will then have funds to spend, generating economic activity that is in addition - in in place of - the spending they are already doing.

And the sooner the editorial board at the paper and the local politicians acknowledge this FACT, the sooner we'll see true economic develop and revitalization.

Stainbrook's reaction to Sec of State report: Fire everyone except the two named in report

According to reports from today's Lucas County Board of Elections meeting, the recent review done by the Ohio Secretary of State isn't sitting well with Jon Stainbrook, a Republican member of the board and the chairman of the Lucas County GOP.

The SoS report recommended firing the top two administrators, Republican Director Meghan Gallagher and Democrat Dan DeAngelis.

Stainbrook's solution: keep them and fire everyone else instead!

Talk about 'stuck-on-stupid' ...

The motion by Stainbrook to do just that was not seconded, but discussion ensued, so the board called a brief recess and, upon returning, ended all discussion due to a lack of second on the motion.

No other action regarding the report was taken.

Interestingly, after having had issues with the lack of public comment previously, the BOE still has not developed a policy for accepting public comment on board matters or items on the agenda. As a result, John Mac Avoy, a member of the Northwest Ohio Conservative Coalition, was prevented from speaking or asking questions during the meeting about the report and its recommendations.

Considering this latest, perhaps the county would be better served by firing Stainbrook from the BOE.

Toledo - one of America's most miserable cities

Toledo has made another list - the Most Miserable Cities of 2013.

Living in Toledo, I can think of a lot of places that are worse than this city, but by the criteria of the Forbes list, we end up #11 of the 20 cities on the list.

Job growth has been anemic in Toledo and residents are voting with their feet and leaving the city. The net migration rate out of the city was the nation's fourth highest behind Detroit, Flint and Cleveland.

The sad part about this is that people and voters in the city don't seem to have hit rock bottom yet to know they need to change.

Just look at what's going on with the presidency of Toledo City Council. The seats are supposed to be non-partisan but the Democrats, who hold a majority, are being dictated to by their party. After a 'come-to-Jesus' meeting last night, they're all going to support Paula Hicks-Hudson for the role - and she's pretty much on board with removing any Republicans from their committee chairmanships.

Heaven forbid that the non-partisan body would reflect diversity in who runs the various committees!

The Republican Party, under the current chairman, Jon Stainbrook, is virtually non-existent, except when they're agreeing with one of the most liberal newspapers in the country, the Toledo Blade.

We are the quintessential definition of stupidity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

No wonder I have a 'stuck-on-stupid' designation for so many things I write about on this blog.

Toledo Council President: Business and profits don't lead to jobs

Toledo Mayor Mike Bell gave the state of the city address yesterday and announced that he intends to seek re-election. The local paper sought comments regarding the speech, including from Bell's detractors and potential opponents.

It was the usual criticisms along political lines, until you get to Joe McNamara, current president of the Toledo City Council.

In a single quote McNamara reveals such complete lack of understanding of the marketplace and economics that you're left wondering if the quote is, indeed, an actual quote.

But this is Toledo - bastion of liberal illogical philosophy which is part of the reason people refer to us as 'little Detroit,' as it certainly seems many of our Democrat politicians are leading us down the same path as our bankrupt neighbor to the north.

According to The Blade (emphasis added):

Mr. McNamara, a possible Democratic candidate for mayor, said Mr. Bell’s state of the city was “a really bad speech.”

“It wasn’t focused on the lives of people in Toledo,” Mr. McNamara said. “We have an 8.2 percent unemployment rate and the economic development focus should be on people and jobs, but this mayor talked about business and profits. Business and profits are great, [but] it doesn’t lead to jobs for the people who live here. That is what’s important.”

Business and profits are great but they don't lead to jobs...

Yep, definitely a starred item in the "not business friendly" category while also earning 'stuck on stupid' designation.

How, exactly, does McNamara think jobs come about?

Obviously, not from the money companies make when people purchase their product at a price greater than expenses. No, companies whose products are in demand don't use those profits to hire more people to produce even more products for people to buy. And they don't use the profits to hire people to help create new or improved products.

They must just sit on the profits - greedy, evil business owners that they are.

Business owners want to deal with people who understand their situation. This doesn't mean you have to have owned or run a business, but it sure does help when the people making the rules, imposing the taxes, setting the fees and issuing the regulations have an accurate understanding of the impact of those decisions on the people who do, in fact, create the jobs so desperately desired.

Companies are not going to want to even talk to a mayor who believes such rubbish as 'business and profit don't create jobs.'

With thinking like this, sadly not isolated to McNamara, it's no wonder businesses and population are fleeing the city.

Just what is this 'fiscal cliff' thing and what does it have to do with addiction?

To understand what the 'cliff' is and why everyone is worried and talking (not actually doing anything) about it, you have to go back to the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003.

In 2001, President George W. Bush pushed for - and Congress passed - tax cuts for all income brackets. The Democrats demonized the package claiming it was 'for the rich' and the media happily went along with the spin.

In 2003, there was some follow-up legislation and, again, the left howled about 'tax cuts for the rich.'

Unlike other programs and laws which go on and on forever (whether they should or not), these measures had a sunset clause. They were all set to expire in 10 years. So, unless Congress acted, as of January 1, 2011, taxes for everyone in all income brackets, as well as taxes on capital gains, dividends and estates, were going to rise - or, more specifically, go back to the higher rates under Pres. Bill Clinton.

So in 2010, realizing that they weren't tax cuts just for the rich like they'd told everyone originally, Congress extended the cuts for two years - until January 1, 2013, which is just 14 days away.

If it were just the Bush tax cuts, they might manage to work out a deal to extend them again, even with Democrats and Pres. Barack Obama demanding that millionaires and billionaires pay more. Oh yeah - those millionaires and billionaires are people (and many small business owners who file as individuals) making $250,000 a year - not $1,000,000.

But there's more.

In 2011, the United States was about to reach it's debt limit. For those of you who are unsure, that's like the maximum amount on your credit card. You can spend up to that amount, but they don't let you go over it. In the case of the U.S. government, that's the amount of money the nation has the authority to borrow. We borrowed to the max and, unless we raised the limit so we could borrow more, we wouldn't be able to pay the bills (like to social security recipients, medicare providers, contractors and employees).

This is different than the yearly deficit which is the amount of money government spends every year that is greater than the amount of money it takes in. Spending more than you take in results in a deficit that must be covered, so the U.S. government borrows money to pay the bills. The cumulative amount of money borrowed over the years to cover the individual yearly deficits gives us the debt, which was $14.294 trillion in 2011. We hit that mark on May 16 of that year.

Clearly, cutting spending wasn't an option for Washington so Republicans and Democrats struck a deal. We'll raise the debt ceiling now and form a committee to identify what cuts should be imposed, they told the American people. The normal process in which congressional committees make such decisions was bypassed in favor a "super committee" consisting of 12 individuals and named the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.

They were supposed to reduce the deficit by $1.2 - $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years.

What made us think that this committee was going to be different than the regular congressional committees? Congress included the policy of sequestration - automatic cuts that would kick in if other cuts were not identified and passed.

As Idea Money Watch explains, the 'super committee' was no different than the other congressional committees and they failed:

Announcing its inability to reach an agreement on November 21, 2011, the members of the bipartisan committee stated that "after months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee's deadline."

So, as established in the BCA, sequestration was triggered when the super committee failed to reach an agreement. Sequestration generates automatic cuts for each of nine years, FY 13-21, totaling $1.2 trillion. Without Congressional action to prevent sequestration, the first round of cuts will take place Jan. 2, 2013.

The 2013 cuts apply to “discretionary” spending and are divided between reductions to defense ($500 billion) and non-defense ($700 billion).

So, taxes are scheduled to go up and spending is scheduled to be cut as of the first of the year.

That's the cliff - a double whammy on you and me and everyone else in the nation.

But that's not all....

Our current debt limit is a whopping $16.394 trillion - and, as of Tuesday, we were just $63 billion short of reaching it. Since the government spends about $10.5 billion a day, we'll reach the debt limit Dec. 23. Merry Christmas!

Of course, there are things the government can do to postpone actually hitting that limit, but Pres. Obama doesn't want to deal with those. He'd rather bypass Congress and have the ability to raise the limit all by himself.

This new power is part of the “deal” the President offered to House Republicans on the fiscal cliff. His “deal” is massive tax hikes, more government spending, and the ability for him to send that government spending skyrocketing through the stratosphere without any vote of Congress. One White House official describes this proposal as “resolv[ing] the debt limit without drama.”

See? It's easy - raise taxes on the 'rich,' spend even more money, and let Obama borrow whatever he wants without limit or check&balance by Congress.

Now Republicans - well, House Speaker John Boehner, specifically - are talking about pushing off the debt ceiling debate for another year, so long as they get spending cuts greater than the debt increase.

But remember - the spending cuts from the last increase are the ones they're trying to avoid taking now!

The American people were promised cuts in spending at least equal to the amount of additional borrowing granted in 2011. Those cuts are supposed to happen, but politicians in DC are trying to stop them.

It has been reported that one of President Ronald Reagan's biggest regrets was agreeing to small tax increases 'now' for cuts in spending over time. The cuts in spending never came.

The same holds true today. Just last year Congress and Pres. Obama agreed to spending cuts in exchange for being able to borrow more money. Now they're talking about borrowing even more money and raising taxes in order to avoid those 'future cuts' from 2011.

It never ends.

Terry Jeffrey puts numbers to the madness, proving that government doesn't have a revenue problem, since revenue has actually increased - they just spend a lot more (and that 'more' amount continues to grow) than they collect.

According to Obama's OMB, federal revenues will be $2.57 trillion this year. In nominal terms that is about $1.58 trillion more than the $991.1 billion in federal revenue for 1989. Even adjusted for inflation, it is $830 billion more.

But, again, federal spending has grown faster. According to Obama's OMB, the federal government will spend $3.83 trillion this year, running a deficit of $1.27 trillion.

Adjusted for inflation, the $152.6 billion deficit of 1989 equals $268.4 billion in current dollars. That means the $1.27 trillion deficit Obama plans to run this year is almost five times larger in real terms than the deficit Reagan ran the year he left office naming the deficit as the only regret in his farewell address.

When Reagan left office in 1989, federal spending was 21.2 percent of gross domestic product. This year, the Obama administration plans to spend 25.1 percent of GDP.

The spending is growing faster than the revenue, which means even more borrowing to cover the expanding gap. Yes, this qualifies as 'stuck-on-stupid.'

And Boehner seems poised to agree to this instead of holding the line, not just for the conservatives who helped elect him, but for our nation and our children.

The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies.

...

Leadership means that “the buck stops here.” Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.

That was Barack Obama in 2006 when he was a senator from Illinois and Bush was president.

Obama was correct then, but he - and just about everyone else in Congress - have succumbed to the spending addiction that hits individuals once they get to the logic-free zone of Washington, D.C.

Now we - and our children and grandchildren - are going to suffer, one way or the other, because those people we elect to represent us just can't make the hard decisions necessary to return fiscal sanity to the government. They keep kicking the can down the road, think the road will go on forever.

It doesn't - and that's where we are today.

For another perspective on this, be sure to check out this post by Tom Blumer at Bizzy Blog.

Of headlines, stupidity, Founding Fathers and JFK

I had several things I was going to post about today but, like I do every morning, I read the Drudge Report headlines.

I was struck by the stuck-on-stupid actions and comments of people - and I couldn't help but wonder what our Founding Fathers would think of some of these things.

For example:

Detroit Mayor: 'We are in an environment of entitlement'...

“We are in an environment, I think, of entitlement, we’ve got a lot of people who are city workers, who for years and years, 20, 30 years, think they are entitled to a job and all that comes with it,” Bing said.

He added: “Nobody wants to go backwards, but in order for us to move this city forward we’re going to have to take a step or two backwards — and then, I think, all of us have to participate in the pain that’ s upon us right now.”

He's right, but nobody wants to admit it and, if he wasn't Black, he would probably be called racist for saying so.

Fast food workers demand $15 per hour salaries...

Yeah - because I should earn what I think I'm worth rather than what my employer thinks I'm worth and because flipping burgers and putting the right food on a tray is as valuable as being able to run a multi-million international company.

So much for a 99-cent menu.

Any job I hold should pay me a wage that is capable of supporting a family of four, regardless of the job, the skills that are (or are not) required or the resulting impact on the cost of the products or services I'm providing via that job.

This concept is being promoted by unions and willingly adopted by gullible individuals - and it is completely and totally opposite of all the principles on which this country was based.

If you can hold any job and be paid what you want, where is your drive to succeed and excel? What is your motivation to do better and be a more active contributor to your community? What happened to the idea of building a better mousetrap?

And where does such a concept lead? What would our Founding Fathers think of this attitude? Forget turning over in their graves - they're spinning faster than a top

UPDATE: EGYPT ISLAMISTS HURRIEDLY APPROVE NEW CONSTITUTION...

Liberals, leftists, Christians, moderate Muslims withdrew before vote...

Retains Islamic law as main source of legislation...

No equal rights for women; owning slaves not banned...

Remember when President Barack Obama and other leftists were praising the so-called Arab Spring and saying how democracy in Egypt was such a good thing? Now we find that their new constitution doesn't contain equal rights for women and doesn't ban the owning of slaves.

How do you have an otherwise 'civilized' nation that takes such positions? And will we have outraged comments from our president, leftists, womens' rights organizations and the NAACP???

Syria shuts down Internet...

Curtails land lines, cell phones...

Things have been really bad in Syria for a long time, but not many have paid as much attention to what's going on there - at least, not compared to Egypt and other countries in the area. But I'm not surprised by the action to block the Internet - limited communication and reporting on events is usually one of the first things an oppressive government does in order to prevent news about what they are doing from getting out. Controlling the message is critical to tyrants.

And then I think about some of the other news reports I've read in the last several days, including:

Judge: Northside ISD CANNOT Expel Student for Rejecting RFID Tracking Chip

says district's tracking program 'violates fundamental Constitutional Rights'

Seriously? We're letting schools track our kids? Are we just getting them used to be tracked by the controlling authority?

TSA Refuses to Show at Committee Hearing

Claims House Transportation Committee has no jurisdiction over it

Are we going to continue to let agencies ignore the checks and balances inherent in the system by letting them thumb their collective noses at Congress?

And on a local level, we have politicians and the daily paper calling for a ban on a type of business they don't like. Yes, in this era of high unemployment and people and businesses leaving the city, they want to ban a job provider who pays property taxes, income taxes, wages and who purchases supplies and goods, contributing to the overall economy of the area.

What kind of bizzaro world are we in?

With all this, I got depressed at the state of the world today because it seems so daunting to fight against the constant attack on individual liberty and penchant for being dependents of governmental tyranny.

But then I remember these three quotes and I'm ready to face the day:

"Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom." ~ John F. Kennedy

"[W]hat country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time that [the] people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms...The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~ Thomas Jefferson

"Live free or die; death is not the worst of evils." ~ General George Stark