Stimulated Yet Forums - Blogs http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php StimulatedYet.com provides Small Businesses with fiscally conservative news and opinion, resources to follow government spending and a community of like-minded businesses. en Sat, 19 May 2012 13:04:01 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.stimulatedyet.com/forum/images/misc/rss.jpg Stimulated Yet Forums - Blogs http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php <![CDATA[Herman Cain's Surge Brings Out Dismissive, Frightened Media]]> http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=717 Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:43:42 GMT Image: http://republicanredefined.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/herman-cain-one.jpg * BREAKING: Herman Cain Now Leads GOP Field Among Primary...

BREAKING: Herman Cain Now Leads GOP Field Among Primary Voters, Says New Zogby Poll

UTICA, NY--Rick Perry has tumbled by more than 20 percentage points over the past month among Republican presidential primary voters and is now second to Herman Cain, who leads the field with 28%.

Mitt Romney received little benefit from Perrys fall, garnering 17% of the vote for third place.

As for President Barack Obama, both his job approval (42%) and the percentage who believe he deserves re-election (37%) are little changed from recent polls, but he does seem to be winning back some supporters who have been disappointed in his job performance.
These results are from an IBOPE Zogby interactive poll conducted Sept. 23-26 of all likely voters and of likely Republican primary voters.

Read More:
http://www.ibopezogby.com/news/2011/...rimary-voters/


Related Links:

Herman Cain’s long-shot run
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politi...O0K_story.html

Condescending ABC Dismisses 'Pizza Baron' Cain: 'Nobody' Won the FL Straw Poll
http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2011/20110926010756.aspx

NBC's Curry to Herman Cain: Was Fla. Straw Poll Win Just A 'Protest Vote'?; Cain: People More Powerful Than Media
http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2011/20110926124519.aspx

Herman Cain's Health Care Plan: Think Happy Thoughts
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011...alth-care-plan

]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=717 Unemployment Fraud: $17 Billion Last Year Alone http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=716 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:14:29 GMT *Unemployment Fraud: $17 Billion Last Year Alone * Image:... Unemployment Fraud: $17 Billion Last Year Alone



A nationwide crackdown is coming for people fraudulently drawing unemployment payments — those who were never eligible and workers who keep getting checks after they return to work — a $17 billion benefits swindle last year alone, say federal officials. With the poor economy lingering and the jobless rate remaining high, Rhode Island and other states are stepping up efforts to stop the fraud and improper payments.

As much as 30 percent of the wrong payments in 2010 went to people who had returned to the workforce but continued to claim benefits, according to Dale Ziegler, deputy administrator for the Office of Unemployment Insurance at the U.S. Department of Labor. Those payments came even after a 2009 executive order by President Barack Obama seeking new policies to cut payment errors, waste, fraud and abuse.

Ziegler said states will be required to submit plans by Sept. 30 to the federal government on how they plan to curb such payments.

"This is a national concern," said Raymond Filippone, assistant director of income support at the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training. "States across the country are stepping up and looking at overpayments and detection."

Double-Dippers Who Scam the System
Since last year, Rhode Island now has four investigators assigned to ferret out double-dippers scamming the system, Filippone said and will add a fifth this year. The state has also for the first time retained a collection agency to recoup incorrectly paid payments. Filippone said the state has paid out $33 million in overpayments since 2008. The May jobless rate in Rhode Island is the third highest in the country at 10.9 percent.

Providence resident Jose L. Roque, 43, is among 15 people charged last month with bilking the state's unemployment benefits system. He faces one count in state court of obtaining money under false pretenses for allegedly accepting more than $20,000 in benefits over nearly four years while working for a Warwick landscaping company, court records show.

He was released pending a pre-arraignment conference next month. Roque has yet to enter a plea. Officials say people convicted of this crime are usually ordered to pay restitution as punishment.

"I kept working and collected at the same time. I know that's my big mistake," Roque said in a telephone interview. "I feel real bad. I'm sorry for that. ... Before I had problems. You know, now I got more problems."

Read the rest of article:
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articl...ear-Alone.aspx




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[URL="http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php"]http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php[/URL ]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=716 Chart of the Week: Job Loss in the Smallest Businesses http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=715 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:09:49 GMT *Chart of the Week: Job Loss in the Smallest Businesses * Image: http://smallbiztrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/small-biz-employment.jpg ... Chart of the Week: Job Loss in the Smallest Businesses




While they don’t get the attention of layoffs at giant corporations, job losses at the smallest businesses are a problem for policy makers. Each lost job is one that the economy needs to replace, regardless of the size of the businesses where people once worked.

This makes recent data from Intuit troubling. The Intuit Small Business Employment Index, which measures the number of people working at businesses with 19 or fewer positions that use Intuit’s payroll service, indicates that 1,362,000 fewer people work in companies of this size now than did so in the month before the recession began.

Read the rest of the article:

http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/07/ch...usinesses.html





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[URL="http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php"]http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php[/URL ]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=715 Gov’t Improperly Paid Out $125 Billion in FY 2010, More Than State Dept.’s Budget http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=714 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:51:49 GMT *Gov’t Improperly Paid Out $125 Billion in FY 2010, More Than State Dept.’s Budget * Image:... Gov’t Improperly Paid Out $125 Billion in FY 2010, More Than State Dept.’s Budget



At a time of growing concern about government spending, the federal government made $125 billion in “improper payments” in 2010, greater than the budget of any federal agency except the Defense Department. The Departments of State, Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services all have budgets below $125 billion.

Federal agencies reported improper payments estimated at $125.4 billion in fiscal year 2010, an increase of $16.2 billion from the $109.2 billion estimate in fiscal 2009, the Government Accountability Office said. Ninety-four percent of those payments came from social spending programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, GAO said in its April 15 report.

The GAO defines improper payments as “overpayments, underpayments, and payments that were not adequately documented,” as well as fraud. It also noted that improper payments are not necessarily fraudulent, only that they represent instances where the government did not follow its own internal rules for spending taxpayers’ money.

The $125 billion in improper payments came from 70 different programs across 20 federal agencies. “This estimate represents about 5.5 percent of the $2.3 trillion of reported outlays for the related programs in fiscal year 2010,” GAO said.

Ten programs accounted for 94 percent of all improper payments in 2010, led by Medicare, which reported $34.3 billion in improper payments – mainly because of medically unnecessary services and insufficient documentation.

Viewed a different way, the estimated $34.3 billion in improper payments attributed to Medicare in fiscal 2010 nearly equals the $38.5 billion in budget cuts made by Republicans in 2011, the largest spending cut in history.
Other programs making the “top ten” list are as follows:

Read the rest of the article:
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/...125-billion-fy

Related:
OMB Reports $125 Billion in Improper Payments Made Last Year
http://oversight.house.gov/index.php...year-&catid=22

Feds Made Over $125 Billion In Improper Payments Last Year
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_849601.html

Found $1.2T of $4T In Targeted Deficit Reduction
http://reimagineamerica.org/2011/fou...cit-reduction/



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http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php ]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=714 Outraged Yet?: For 2nd Consecutive Year, GE Pays No Federal Taxes http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=713 Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:45:56 GMT General Electric Paid No Federal Taxes in 2010
White House Takes Heat for GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt's Advisory Role



The top tax bracket for U.S. corporations stands at 35 percent, one of the highest rates in the world. So how is it possible that a giant of American business, General Electric, paid nothing in federal taxes last year, even as it made billions in profit?

And should the CEO of GE, Jeffrey Immelt, be advising the president on business?

For two years, President Obama has been talking about the need for corporate tax reform, declaring that the system is too complicated and that companies pay too much.

"Simplify, eliminate loopholes, treat everybody fairly," Obama said in February.

For those unaccustomed to the loopholes and shelters of the corporate tax code, GE's success at avoiding taxes is nothing short of extraordinary. The company, led by Immelt, earned $14.2 billion in profits in 2010, but it paid not a penny in taxes because the bulk of those profits, some $9 billion, were offshore. In fact, GE got a $3.2 billion tax benefit.

"Two things are disconcerting. One is, there's disproportionate amount of profits being reported offshore. And then, even for the profits that are reported onshore, they're paying less than 35 percent," said Martin Sullivan, a contributing editor for Tax Analysts.

2010 was the second year in a row that GE recorded billions in profits and paid no taxes.

During that same period, Immelt has been a close advisor to the president on the business community, a relationship that rubs some the wrong way. Immelt serves as the chairman of Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.

In a statement, General Electric said that it "pays what it owes under the law and is scrupulous about its compliance with tax obligations in all jurisdictions." The company claims that its zero-dollar tax bill is largely a result of losses at its financial arm, GE Capital, due to the Wall Street meltdown.

Read More:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/gener...ry?id=13224558

Related:
Report: General Electric Paid No Federal Taxes Last Year
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/...axes-last-year

Bank of America, GE Pay Zero Federal Taxes
http://publicintelligence.net/bank-o...federal-taxes/

GE, Exxon Paid No Taxes in '09
http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/b...xes-in-09.html

American Coup | JP Morgan Backed G.E. Gains Seat in White House
http://www.menwithfoilhats.com/2011/...n-white-house/

Obama Picks G.E. Chief for Board as Focus Turns to Jobs
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/22/bu...melt.html?_r=1



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http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php ]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=713 Idaho Votes to Phase Out Teacher Tenure, Restrict Collective Bargaining http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=712 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:26:21 GMT *Idaho Votes to Phase Out Teacher Tenure, Restrict Collective Bargaining * Image:... Idaho Votes to Phase Out Teacher Tenure, Restrict Collective Bargaining



The Idaho Legislature has approved a bill that would phase out tenure for new teachers and limit their collective-bargaining rights, marking a victory for lawmakers seeking union reforms in state capitals across the country.

The bill went to Gov. Butch Otter's desk after it was approved by the House on a 48-22 vote, with nine Republicans joining Democrats in opposition to the GOP-backed measure after hours of debate.

The measure is part of Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna's plan to reform the K-12 education system in Idaho. It would restrict collective bargaining agreements to salaries and benefits while also phasing out "tenure" for new educators and current teachers who have yet to attain it. New educators would instead be offered one- to two-year contracts following a three-year probationary period.

"Through this plan, we are going to attract and retain more quality teachers in Idaho by offering a two-year contract, increased pay and the opportunity to earn bonuses," said Republican state Rep. Bob Nonini, according to Fox 12 in Idaho.

Supporters of the legislation contend the plan will hand over more power to Idaho's locally elected school boards when it comes to labor relations.

But the Idaho Education Association bemoaned passage of the legislation to limit the union, saying it will gut teacher rights. The group planned protest rallies across the state on Wednesday, when the House is expected to take up another piece of Luna's reform plan and vote on a bill that would introduce merit pay.

"One person's medicine is another person's Kool-Aid and I refuse to drink it," Democratic state Rep. Brian Cronin said, according to Fox 12.

Teacher tenure is a longstanding benefit for public school teachers and college professors dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. The campaign for tenure sprung out of other workers' rights movements and was tied to the push for broader women's rights -- it was meant to keep experienced teachers safe from the whims of administrators and cultivate talented instructors.

But over the years, teachers' unions have pressed for expanded rights, and critics of tenure -- which in some cases can be earned in just two years -- say it's morphed into a tool to keep bad teachers from being fired.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...#ixzz1GCLE08Mm


Related:
Wis. Dems. rush to stop anti-union vote
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/...8681299745800/

Michael Moore Reacts To Wisconsin Union Vote: "This Is War"
http://realclearpolitics.com/video/2...is_is_war.html

Idaho Legislators Follow Wisconsin Lawmakers' Footsteps
http://www.thenewamerican.com/index....kers-footsteps

Unions encourage business as usual until further notice
http://badgerherald.com/news/2011/03...ourage_bus.php

Socialist Worker: Do or die in Wisconsin
http://socialistworker.org/2011/03/1...e-in-wisconsin

Communist Party USA: Wisconsin and beyond: the conflict is irreconcilable
http://www.cpusa.org/wisconsin-and-b...rreconcilable/



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http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php ]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=712 <![CDATA[GOP Senators Introduce National 'Right-to-Work' Bill to Restrict Unions]]> http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=711 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:10:57 GMT GOP Senators Introduce National 'Right-to-Work' Bill to Restrict Unions



A group of conservative U.S. senators has introduced a bill to restrict unions from forcing workers to join and pay dues as a condition of employment.

The move on Capitol Hill comes as several states consider what's known as "right-to-work" legislation -- proposals that have met stiff resistance. Indiana Republicans recently shelved their right-to-work bill after it sparked protests at the capital and after Democrats fled the state to block it, mimicking the tactic used by Wisconsin lawmakers holding up Gov. Scott Walker's anti-union proposal.

But GOP senators in Washington said national legislation is needed to stop the "strong-arm political tactics" they claim labor bosses are using to compel new employees into joining their ranks. They introduced the National Right to Work Act Tuesday.

"No American should be forced to join a union and pay dues to get a job in this country," Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said in a statement. "Many Americans are already struggling just to put food on the table, and they shouldn't have to fear losing their jobs or face discrimination if they don't want to join a union. Forced-unionism shields unions from member accountability and has a detrimental effect on the economy."

Opponents of right-to-work legislation say the proposals would lower pay and hurt workers.

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents federal workers, said in a statement Wednesday it would oppose the bill "in solidarity" with other unions, while noting it would not affect federal employees.
For years, the country has been split about 50-50 between states that allow employees to decide whether to join a union and states that allow unions to require membership. Most southern and central Midwestern states are right-to-work states, while the West Coast, New England and the northern Midwest comprise what critics call "forced-unionism" states.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...#ixzz1GCJQNIXh

Related:
Right to Work States
http://www.nrtw.org/d/rtwempl.htm

Forced Union States Receive more Federal Aid than Right-to-Work States
http://drscoundrels.com/2011/03/09/f...o-work-states/

Lawmakers Debate Fairness of Federal Workers' Paychecks
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...ers-paychecks/



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http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php ]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=711 Wisconsin Senate GOP Votes to Strip State Workers of Collective Bargaining Rights http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=710 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 02:15:31 GMT *Wisconsin Senate GOP Votes to Strip State Workers of Collective Bargaining Rights * Image:... Wisconsin Senate GOP Votes to Strip State Workers of Collective Bargaining Rights



Bypassing Democrats hiding out in Illinois, Wisconsin Senate Republicans voted Wednesday night to strip state workers of their collective bargaining rights.

Republicans voted 18-1 to pass the stripped-down budget bill in a hastily arranged meeting. None of the Senate Democrats were present.

The state Assembly votes on the bill Thursday, the same day AWOL lawmakers will return to the state, according to a Democratic leader reported the Associated Press.

All 14 Senate Democrats fled to Illinois nearly three weeks ago, preventing the chamber from having enough members present to consider Gov. Scott Walker's so-called "budget repair bill" -- a proposal introduced to plug a $137 million budget shortfall..

The Senate requires a quorum to take up any measures that spend money. But Republicans on Wednesday split from the legislation the proposal to curtail union rights, and a special conference committee of state lawmakers approved that bill a short time later.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...#ixzz1G9tP2Rgz

Related:
Wisconsin Senate passes union limits despite Democratic walkout
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/...budget/?hpt=T1

Wisconsin Senate Passes Bill to Curb Public Union Bargaining
http://www.businessweek.com/news/201...argaining.html

Wis. State Senate Passes Anti-Union Bill, In End-Run Around Dem Boycott
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...em-boycott.php

Wisconsin Senate GOP Tries Nuclear Option for Passing Anti-Union Bill [UPDATE: It Worked]
http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/wei...nion-bill.aspx

Bravo! Unions Lose in Wisconsin; Senate Passes Bill
http://tammybruce.com/2011/03/bravo-...medium=twitter





]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=710 Walker Blinks: Negotiations Begin with Runaway Dems http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=709 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:26:56 GMT *Wisconsin Governor Proposes Union Compromise in E-Mails * Image: http://www.minnpost.com/_asset/xglz0n/mp_main_wide/WisconsinScottWalker_452.jpg ... Wisconsin Governor Proposes Union Compromise in E-Mails



Appearing to blink first in a nearly three-week standoff with absent Senate Democrats, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker offered to keep certain collective bargaining rights in place for state workers in a proposed compromise, according to e-mails released Tuesday by his office.

But the e-mails weren't enough to end a stalemate that has drawn national attention and ignited a storm of protest from union workers and their supporters.

Sen. Bob Jauch, one of the 14 Democrats on the run in Illinois to block a vote on Walker's original proposal, said he hoped the compromise would serve as a blueprint for future negotiations. But he and Sen. Tim Cullen, who were both working with Walker's administration, said the latest offer was inadequate.

The e-mails, some dated as recently as Sunday, show a softened stance in Walker's talks with the 14 Democrats who object to his original proposal that would strip nearly all collective bargaining rights for public workers and force concessions amounting to an average 8 percent pay cut. Republicans, who control the Senate, can't vote on the budget measure unless at least one Democrat is present.

Under the compromise floated by Walker and detailed in the e-mails, workers would be able to continue bargaining over their salaries with no limit, a change from his original plan that banned negotiated salary increases beyond inflation. He also proposed compromises allowing collective bargaining to stay in place on mandatory overtime, performance bonuses, hazardous duty pay and classroom size for teachers.

The increased contributions for health insurance and pension, which would save the state $330 million by mid-2013, would remain. The unions and Democrats have agreed to those concessions to help balance a projected $3.6 billion budget shortfall.

The e-mails show that Jauch had wanted even more items to be subject to bargaining that Walker seeks to eliminate, including sick leave and vacation pay.

"I consider the lines of communication still open," Cullen said Tuesday. "Whether there's going to be any communicating, remains to be seen. These things ebb and flow."

Walker has repeatedly said that he would not budge on the key parts of the bill that's been stymied in the Senate after Democrats left 19 days ago. Since then, the pressure to deal has increased as protests reached as large as 80,000 people, polls show the public want a compromise and recall efforts were launched against 16 senators, including eight Republicans.

Some of the items in Walker's compromise plan could only be bargained if both sides agree to take them up. Workplace safety would be subjected to bargaining regardless.

Walker also proposed allowing collective bargaining agreements to last up to two years, instead of the one-year limit in his original proposal. Unions would only have to vote to remain in existence every three years, instead of annually as Walker initially proposed.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...#ixzz1G63lLoxu


Related:
In Letter, Wisconsin Democrats Demand Compromise, Offer to Meet Walker at Border
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews...ker_at_border/

Poll: Most Want Walker To Reach Compromise
Narrow Margin Disagree With Senate Democrats Move Out Of State
http://www.channel3000.com/politics/...84/detail.html

Democrats say Wis. governor's compromise on union bill falls short, but negotiations continue
http://www.newser.com/article/d9lrjp...-continue.html

Wisconsin's Walker Vows No Compromise on Unions (March 3, 2011)
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/w...3/03/id/388282



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http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php ]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=709 GAO Releases Blockbuster Report on Government Waste http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=708 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:49:25 GMT *Government Waste By the Numbers: Report Identifies Dozens of Overlapping Programs * Image:... Government Waste By the Numbers: Report Identifies Dozens of Overlapping Programs



The federal government hosts 47 job-training programs, 44 of which overlap. It runs 80 programs for the "transportation disadvantaged."

Another 82 programs spread across 10 separate agencies endeavor to improve teacher quality -- something hundreds of local school districts are already focused on.

These are just a few of the findings in a blockbuster report on government waste and inefficiencies released by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office. The report, a summary of which was obtained by Fox News, identifies billions of dollars in potential savings if Congress just had the will to streamline initiatives that target politically popular causes.

"This report confirms what most Americans assume about their government. We are spending trillions of dollars every year and nobody knows what we are doing. The executive branch doesn't know. The congressional branch doesn't know. Nobody knows," Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said in a statement Tuesday morning. "This report also shows we could save taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars every year without cutting services."

The well-timed release comes as Republicans and Democrats fight over how much to cut from the rest of this year's budget, not to mention next year's $3.73 trillion spending plan.

Democrats have so far balked at GOP plans to cut $61 billion from the 2010 fiscal year budget. But while both parties are squabbling over a relatively small slice of the budget pie -- discretionary spending -- the GAO report suggests Congress could keep cutting and leave the operation of government intact.

"Reducing or eliminating duplication, overlap or fragmentation could potentially save billions of taxpayer dollars annually and help agencies provide more efficient and effective services," the report said.

The study found 33 areas with "overlap and fragmentation" in the federal government.

Among them, it found:
-- Fifty-six programs across 20 agencies dealing with financial literacy.

-- More than 2,100 data centers -- up from 432 a little more than a decade ago -- across 24 federal agencies. GAO estimated the government could save up to $200 billion over the next decade by consolidating them.

-- Twenty programs across seven agencies dealing with homelessness. The report found $2.9 billion spent on the programs in 2009. "Congress is often to blame" for fragmentation, GAO wrote in this section, explaining that the duplicative programs in multiple agencies cause access problems for potential participants.

-- Eighty-two "distinct" teacher-quality programs across 10 agencies. Many of them have "duplicate sub-goals," GAO said. Nine of them address teacher quality in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

-- Fifteen agencies administering 30 food-related laws. "Some of the oversight doesn't make any sense," the report stated bluntly.

-- Eighty economic development programs.
In some cases, the programs in question struggled to account for what they did. Take, for instance, domestic food assistance initiatives. According to GAO, 18 such programs are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services -- with GAO estimating $62.5 billion spent on them.
But "little is known about the effectiveness" of 11 of those programs, the report states.
Similarly, of the 47 job-training programs run out of the federal government, only five could provide an "impact study" since 2004 looking at "outcomes." About half of them provided no performance review at all since 2004.

The lengthy GAO report was mandated by Congress the last time it raised the debt limit in January 2010. Coburn said the report makes lawmakers look like "jackasses."

"We don't know what we're doing," Coburn said.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...#ixzz1FMoYHKwp


Related:
GAO Summary:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http...-318SP&h=4569c

Read the Full GAO Report:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http...sp.pdf&h=4569c

Government overlap costs taxpayers billions, GAO reports
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fed...sts_taxpa.html

Runaway Trains of Bureaucracy
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=42061

Billions in Bloat Uncovered in Beltway
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...LEFTTopStories



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http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php ]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=708 Why Koch Industries Is Speaking Out http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=707 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:21:22 GMT *Why Koch Industries Is Speaking Out * Image: http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-MU360_koch_G_20110228175723.jpg By CHARLES G. KOCH... Why Koch Industries Is Speaking Out



By CHARLES G. KOCH

Years of tremendous overspending by federal, state and local governments have brought us face-to-face with an economic crisis. Federal spending will total at least $3.8 trillion this year—double what it was 10 years ago. And unlike in 2001, when there was a small federal surplus, this year's projected budget deficit is more than $1.6 trillion.

Several trillions more in debt have been accumulated by state and local governments. States are looking at a combined total of more than $130 billion in budget shortfalls this year. Next year, they will be in even worse shape as most so-called stimulus payments end.

For many years, I, my family and our company have contributed to a variety of intellectual and political causes working to solve these problems. Because of our activism, we've been vilified by various groups. Despite this criticism, we're determined to keep contributing and standing up for those politicians, like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who are taking these challenges seriously.

Both Democrats and Republicans have done a poor job of managing our finances. They've raised debt ceilings, floated bond issues, and delayed tough decisions.

In spite of looming bankruptcy, President Obama and many in Congress have tiptoed around the issue of overspending by suggesting relatively minor cuts in mostly discretionary items. There have been few serious proposals for necessary cuts in military and entitlement programs, even though these account for about three-fourths of all federal spending.

Yes, some House leaders have suggested cutting spending to 2008 levels. But getting back to a balanced budget would mean a return to at least 2003 spending levels—and would still leave us with the problem of paying off our enormous debts.

Federal data indicate how urgently we need reform: The unfunded liabilities of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid already exceed $106 trillion. That's well over $300,000 for every man, woman and child in America (and exceeds the combined value of every U.S. bank account, stock certificate, building and piece of personal or public property).

The Congressional Budget Office has warned that the interest on our federal debt is "poised to skyrocket." Even Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is sounding alarms. Yet the White House insists that substantial spending cuts would hurt the economy and increase unemployment.

Plenty of compelling examples indicate just the opposite. When Canada recently reduced its federal spending to 11.3% of GDP from 17.5% eight years earlier, the economy rebounded and unemployment dropped. By comparison, our federal spending is 25% of GDP.

Government spending on business only aggravates the problem. Too many businesses have successfully lobbied for special favors and treatment by seeking mandates for their products, subsidies (in the form of cash payments from the government), and regulations or tariffs to keep more efficient competitors at bay.

Crony capitalism is much easier than competing in an open market. But it erodes our overall standard of living and stifles entrepreneurs by rewarding the politically favored rather than those who provide what consumers want.

The purpose of business is to efficiently convert resources into products and services that make people's lives better. Businesses that fail to do so should be allowed to go bankrupt rather than be bailed out.

Read the rest of the article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...226083178.html




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http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php ]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=707 <![CDATA[How's This for a Precedent??: Indiana Republicans Cave to Dems in Hiding]]> http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=706 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:37:08 GMT Indiana Republicans Won't Revive Anti-Union Bill



Indiana Republican leaders on Wednesday agreed not to revive an anti-union bill that House Democrats killed by fleeing the state to Illinois, where Wisconsin Senate Democrats are also camped out in protest of similar legislation.

The so-called right-to-work legislation, which has also sparked massive protests at the statehouse, would have curbed the collective bargaining rights of private unions in Indiana by prohibiting union representation fees from being a condition of employment. But the absence of House Democrats caused the bill to miss a procedural deadline on Tuesday for consideration.

Even though Republicans could have revived the bill, state Senate leader David Long said Wednesday that he, Gov. Mitch Daniels and House Speaker Brian Bosma agreed to leave it alone, giving the labor movement a key victory in the ongoing battles between state governments and unions across the nation.

"I thought there was a better time and place to have this very important and legitimate issue raised," Daniels said.

Although Bosma had signaled Tuesday that he wouldn't let Daniels' position deter him from reviving the bill, he apparently had a change of heart on Wednesday.

Read more:
http://fxn.ws/fnn0eu


Related:
Mitch Daniels on Indiana “right to work” law: This isn’t the right time
http://hotair.com/archives/2011/02/2...he-right-time/

Breaking News from Indiana: ‘Right to Work’ Withdrawn
http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/02/23/br...ork-withdrawn/

Obama Sitting Out State Fights With Unions
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...fights-unions/

Wis. Republicans press forward on anti-union bill
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_wisconsin_budget_unions

Obama slinks away from Wisconsin union fight
http://www.redstate.com/california_y...n-union-fight/

Neither side budging in Wisconsin union fight
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/...20034488.shtml

Wisconsin Labor Unrest Could Go National
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...rest-national/

Read the Wisconsin Bill Yourself:
http://legis.wisconsin.gov/JR1SB-11.pdf



]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=706 House passes $60 billion in spending cuts http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=705 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 12:50:41 GMT *House passes $60 billion in spending cuts * Image: http://images.politico.com/global/news/110218_late_congress_ap_605.jpg More a battering ram... House passes $60 billion in spending cuts



More a battering ram than a budget, a giant government-wide spending bill passed the House early Saturday morning, packing $60 billion in Republican spending cuts together with scores of legislative riders to impede President Barack Obama in carrying out his policies.

Final passage came on a 235-189 vote shortly before dawn, capping an all-night session and marathon week during which literally hundreds of amendments were debated.

The open process — and largely civil tone — represent a victory for Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). But by moving so far right to appease his large freshman class, Boehner picked up no Democratic votes and sacrificed what many saw as his best shot of scoring a quick win in the Senate at the expense of Obama.

Instead, Senate Democrats will be more united now and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) stronger after Saturday’s margins. And the real question becomes: can Reid, Boehner and Obama pick their way through the coming weeks without falling into a government shutdown?

Since Oct. 1, agencies have been funded under a series of continuing resolutions or CR’s, the latest of which is due to expire Mar. 4. Washington is already electric with speculation of a shutdown and today’s circumstances are more dangerous than the crisis in 1995 when Republicans had also just taken over the House.

Unlike 1995, the nation is at war, with U.S. troops in the field in Afghanistan and Iraq. This profoundly raises the symbolism of any shutdown even as the political distance between Obama and the new Republican-tea party majority is far greater than what existed between then President Bill Clinton and the so-called Republican Revolution in 1995.

So much of 1995 was dominated by the outsized personality of then-Speaker Newt Gingrich who fancied himself a modern Cromwell leading Parliament against the king. By comparison the bill now reflects a more genuine upheaval, springing from the Republican ranks and demanding far more dramatic spending cuts than anything attempted so early in 1995.

The $60 billion in reductions are concentrated in the last six months of this fiscal year and represent a 14 percent cut that will severely impact Obama’s agenda at home and abroad. Foreign aid and State Department operations would be cut as much as $10 billion from Obama’s latest request. Pell Grants for low income college students are reduced, and School Turnaround Grants cut by almost two-thirds.

The Environmental Protection Agency lost $2.7 billion from its current appropriations. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, charged with major new responsibilities under Wall Street reforms, would get a third of the funding Obama wants. And the new Republican majority would block not just federal regulators but Obama’s signature achievement thus far: healthcare reform.

Indeed, the final day of House floor debate Friday showed that a large faction in the Republican conference still wants $22 billion more in reductions than the bill provides.

“The American people are ahead of us. They are asking us to go one step forward…to be bold,” said Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), one of 147 Republicans, including House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who supported the cuts. And the amendment only failed because of concerted opposition by top GOP leaders and the House Appropriations Committee.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories...#ixzz1EPDOaHUJ

Related:
House Passes Funding Measue With $60 Billion in Cuts
http://www.nationaljournal.com/house...-cuts-20110219

U.S. House passes bill with $60 billion in spending cuts, defying veto threat from President Obama
http://www.cleveland.com/nation/inde...with_60_b.html

House passes sweeping cuts to domestic programs
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_congress_spending



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http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php ]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=705 <![CDATA[Hmmm... I thought it was just the Tea Party with the "hateful rhetoric"?]]> http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=704 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:43:14 GMT Image: http://stimulatedyet.com/02-18-11/7.jpg Image: http://stimulatedyet.com/02-18-11/6.jpg Image: http://stimulatedyet.com/02-18-11/2.jpg ...












The picture below isn't all that hateful -- it's just representative of the continued manipulation of our children for the political process -- Appleton West High School students protest in support of their teachers on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011.


VIDEO: Wisc. High School Teachers Bring Students to Protest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cufj2...layer_embedded





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http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php ]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=704 <![CDATA[Obama Calls Wisconsin Budget Bill 'Assault on Unions']]> http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=703 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:56:42 GMT Obama Calls Wisconsin Budget Bill 'Assault on Unions'



President Obama has accused Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, of unleashing "an assault" on unions by pressing legislation that would end collective bargaining rights for public employees and sharply increase their health care and pension payments.

"Some of what I've heard coming out of Wisconsin, where you're just making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain generally seems like more of an assault on unions," Obama told WTMJ-TV in a White House interview Wednesday. "And I think it's very important for us to understand that public employees, they're our neighbors, they're our friends."

"I think everybody's got to make some adjustments, but I think it's also important to recognize that public employees make enormous contributions to our states and our citizens," he continued.

But Walker said the demands on public employees are "modest" compared with those in the private sector, and are meant to prevent a shutdown, which could result in 6,000 state workers not getting paid.

"We're at a point of crisis," the governor said, adding that he would call out the National Guard if needed to keep state operations, including prisons, running.

Republicans who swept into power in state capitols this year with promises to cut spending and bolster the business climate now are beginning to usher in a new era of labor relations that could result in the largest reduction of power in decades for public employee unions.

But as massive public protests and legislative boycotts in Wisconsin this week have shown, the Republican charge can be fraught with risk and unpredictable turns as politicians try to transform campaign ideas into action.

The question GOP governors and lawmakers are now facing is exactly how far they can go without encountering a backlash. Do they merely extract more money from school teachers, prison guards and office workers to help ease their states' budget problems? Or do they go at the very core of union power by abolishing the workers' right to bargain collectively? Do they try to impose changes by steamrolling the opposition, or by coming to the bargaining table?

"The consequences will be rolling forth for many, many years," said James Gregory, director of Center for Labor Studies at the University of Washington. "The battle lines have been drawn and will be replicated around the country. This is going to be very tough for unions and public sector employees."

In Wisconsin, new Gov. Walker is going for it all -- the elimination of collective bargaining rights for public employees plus sharp increases in their health care and pension payments. His plan advanced quickly to the Republican-led Senate, despite several days of protests that drew tens of thousands of demonstrators to the Capitol. Then Senate Democrats suddenly fled the state Thursday, bringing the legislative process to a halt.

At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Walker said he's willing to talk to the senators who want to force Walker and GOP lawmakers to negotiate revisions to the bill.

"I'm going to tell them they get paid to come to work, and they should be coming to work," he told reporters.

Walker went "On The Record" with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren Thursday night and reiterated his appeal for the senators to return to Wisconsin.

"Democracy doesn’t come by hiding out in another state," he said. "I made a personal appeal for all the senators to come back."

In a statement he released earlier, Walker, said the actions of the lawmakers were "disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of public employees who showed up to work today and the millions of taxpayers they represent."


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...#ixzz1EJ64m4QW

Related:

In Wisconsin, Teachers Take Students from Class to Protest
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/...st_550230.html

Obama joins Wisconsin's budget battle, opposing Republican anti-union bill
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...021707325.html

wow, check out this guy ...
Wisconsin Governor Hopes Unions Settle For A Dollar A Day And A Bowl Of Rice
http://bigthink.com/ideas/30761

Wis. Gov. Walker calls Democrat boycott a 'stunt'
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110217/..._budget_unions

Huffington Post: Wisconsin Governor Threatens To Replace Union Workers With National Guard
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_823476.html

Progressive Solidarity Movement Emerges In Wisconsin
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/02/17/...abor-protests/

Wisconsin is 'ground zero' for battle over unions
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...ons18_ST_N.htm

Poll: Support For Labor Unions Remains At Near-Historic Low
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...storic-low.php

Republicans Challenging Unions In State Capitols
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...ryId=133858098

Nation polarized in reactions to bill, protests
http://www.dailycardinal.com/news/na...ests-1.2004905

Wisconsin Senate to vote on anti-union bill
http://www.artesianews.com/ap-news/u...ti-union-bill/



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http://www.stimulatedyet.com/contact.php ]]> webixi http://stimulatedyet.com/forum/blog.php?b=703