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So do lower taxes, for that matter, but they aren't the ones on the mind of Maryland's Gov. Martin O'Malley. It's the higher ones that he's eying.
It always surprises me just how frequently politicians say that they're cutting your taxes when, in reality, they're raising them. The manouverings of Maryland's governor are just such a case. He's proposing a 20 percent hike in the general sales tax, as well as a 14 percent hike in the "corporate" income tax. He also wants to double the cigarette tax to $2 per pack. For all of this, Marylanders will get a whopping 0.03 percent reduction in their property taxes (for assessed value).
What really grinds my gears is not only that the increases far outweigh the reductions, but also that the guv is marketing this plan as something good for low and middle income earners, and only a tax hike on high income earners. Excuse me, but doesn't everyone buy things and pay sales tax? And don't more middle class families own stock in corporations than any other demographic? Their 401Ks and IRAs are going to suffer because of this so-called "corporate" income tax increase.
By the way, if this plan is being sold to help low income earners then why is the sales tax being increased while the property tax is being (ever-so-slightly) decreased? Last time I checked the poorer among us didn't own homes, but they sure do buy things from the store.
At least someone is standing up for common sense in Maryland. Here's what Dee Hughes of the Maryland Taxpayers Association said in a Baltimore Sun article:
"Why can't our governor and his gang of spenders cut taxes instead of raising them? The only thing I can think of is the grab for power. They think they are in a gold rush, but the gold isn't in the ground, it is in our wallets."
One other thing: Read the entire article, because some people speculate that the governor's plan is intended to improve his political chances next year. Seems about right to me!
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Speaking of tricks and treats, this is definitely a trick:
“We made the change because we wanted the sales tax law to match what we thought the predominant use was,” said spokeswoman Renee Mulvey.
Oh, please. It’s pretty clear that the
Anyway, rest assured, the Department of Revenue also has a solution for those people who actually do purchase pumpkins for eating. In their infinite bureaucratic wisdom, they have provided "Iowa Sales Tax Exemption Certificates" for just such occasions.
I have a feeling Iowans aren’t so happy about Halloween this year. Read more here.
Happy Halloween from the Sam Adams
In the spirit of today’s holiday, I’m posting a press release from Citizens Against Government Waste, detailing a list of those who deserve taxpayer tricks and treats. Here’s a sample:
Trick: To the vampiric Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) for purposefully putting up roadblocks and barriers to hinder earmark accountability and reform. Jack-the-Ripper-Offer’s response to a reporter’s inquiry regarding the difficulty of matching up earmark information in appropriations bills was: “So, you have to work. Tough [expletive].” Rep. Murtha was named CAGW’s May Porker of the Month for howling like a werewolf, throwing a temper tantrum, and threatening his colleagues over a challenge to a $23 million earmark for his pet project, the
Treat: To Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (R) for announcing the state would drive a stake through the heart of the infamous “Bridge to Nowhere” and focus on other transportation priorities. Gov. Palin directed the Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) to create a list of other uses for the $36 million in federal money that will be freed up with the desertion of the project. The DOT will also work to come up with a more financially responsible solution, such as improved ferry services, to serve the residents of
Read the whole list here.
This just in from Michigan:
When blogger Dana Potocki listed the State of Michigan on Ebay to draw attention to the problems in the state capitol, she had no idea that her husband, a state government employee, would have his job threatened.
But that's exactly what happened. On Monday, he was called into his supervisor's office and ordered to take the Ebay listing down, and so he complied, even though he had nothing to do with his wife's listing. In the meantime, he was sent home Tuesday suspended with pay pending investigation of misuse of state internet computer system. He expects a letter tomorrow outlining the charges.
He is expecting to be fired.
Isn't it crazy that he is being threatened and harrassed by his employers because SHE put up an e-bay listing on HER e-bay account to ... sell the Capitol Dome in Lansing?
Remember the Boston Tea Party? Sam Adams and his fellow taxpayers dumped tea into the harbor to protest "taxation without representation." Chicagoans did something similar yesterday, by pouring bottled water into the river.
The politicians are proposing new taxes, including a 10 cent per bottle water tax, as well as property tax increases. Protesters modeled their protest after the 1773 Boston Tea Party, where patriots threw boxes of tea into Boston Harbor to protest "taxation without representation."
Check out Katie as she interviews protesters in this special SamTV report of the "Chicago Water Party!"
Like most kids with a penchant for begging their parents for cash, I heard the phrase “money doesn’t grow on trees” a fair amount when I was growing up.
It’s a lesson everyone has to learn (which I did)—but unfortunately for
Lawmakers have already increased income taxes and extended the sales tax—despite an already-strangled economy—and now they’re considering raising gas taxes, too.
Taxpayers are not money trees, and lawmakers must realize this before
I know Richard will be posting his video tomorrow along with pictures, but here's what the UofChicago College Republicans filmed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzgCS0xY2iY
Today, a few members of the Sam staff (including myself) attended a Chicago-style Tea Party, where citizens gathered to pour bottled water into the river in protest of a proposed 10-cent tax on bottled water—not to mention high taxes in general.
We even got a few interviews on video—check back here tomorrow to see it.
Did you know that in many states you have to get licensed if you want to work as an interior decorator?
Indeed, the government may have to certify your good taste, just as it thinks it has a duty to certify horsemen in Texas so that they can be allowed legally to file-down--or float--horses' teeth. Nevermind that he's handled 100,000 horses, or that his customers keep going back to him because he does a good job.
Mr Mitz is one of four horse-tooth floaters in Texas suing to be allowed to carry on earning a living. The case attracts few headlines, but the principle is important. Regulators should not shut down an honest business without good cause. The vets' board says letting non-vets file horses' teeth endangers the horses. Dewey Helmcamp, the executive director, says the board received half a dozen complaints in a year and a half about poor care from fly-by-night floaters. But that label hardly applies to Mr Mitz, who says he has never botched a floating. His customers fear that they may have to pay a vet more to do the job less well. “This should be my choice, not yours!!!” reads a typical letter from one of Mr Mitz's clients to the board.
The Institute for Justice is helping Mitz out. Read the rest of the article in the Economist magazine here.
“Vendetta criminal indictments, prison time for petitioning, felony charges for circulating an initiative? No, this isn’t the story of the pro-democracy monks persecuted in
This came from a great op-ed in the Orange County Register today, in which the author, Michelle Steel, writes about the outrageous indictments of the Oklahoma 3—and about how liberals are trying to bring these same political tactics to California.
Read it here.
Earlier this month, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Susan Combs, opened a useful website called "Where the Money Goes," a database outlining the minutiae of all state spending. Our freedom-loving blogreaders and friends in Texas can access the database here and help keep their state and local agencies taxpayer-accountable.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram offers highlights from their own database-digging - including UT Arlington's "hazardous duty pay" ($18,080), chartered aircraft expenditures for the Governor's office ($3,986.75), as well as the "animal budget" of the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin (taxpayers got off easy there - just $4.99).
Check out where your money's going here.
Once more, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has decided that it is his duty to play nanny and require that all restaurants that have 15 or more locations in New York City or across the country be forced to show their calories on their menus or menu boards.
Not only is this insulting to the people of New York, but also to the restaurant owners, many of whom have franchises of major fast food restaurants, making printing new menus a costly burden. Furthermore, this law singles out fast food chains with its “15 or more” policy. It is also interesting to note that chains like McDonald’s already post their calories online. Why, then, should the government see fit to force these laws on business owners when the information is already out there for all who care to see it?
If people truly want to watch their calorie intake, they will either do the research themselves, or simply not eat at restaurants like McDonald’s, which have historically been deemed unhealthy places to eat. This is yet another example of “government knows what's best for you” that we have been seeing all too often, especially by the Bloomberg administration in New York.
It looks like
The difference is, however, that in
“We need to be partners in this effort,” Assemblyman Richard Brodsky told the MTA board. “All we’re asking you to do is ask us to give you money. It seems reasonable. Please ask us for more money.”
It’s all very bizarre. But then again, when politicians are spending other people's money, this is pretty much par for the course. Read more here.
Have you checked out our top 10 list for entering the Sammies? Well, what are you waiting for?
Here's a sample:
9. Your parents will finally be proud of you. OK, we're sure your parents are already proud of you-but imagine how much more proud they'd be if you spent some of your time promoting responsible government practices, or getting the word out about government corruption?
Thar be more where that came from. Check 'em out, and remember, all entries are due by December 7th!
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Yeah, that rhymes, but it's so true. Watch Paul Jacob give one of his best speeches ever on his indictment in Oklahoma for the "crime" of abiding by the law and helping OK citizens to petition their government.
"It's not about Republican or Democrat, or liberal or conservative. It's about basic, core American values of fairness, and fair-play and freedom; [against] the values of 'I want to win by hook or by crook. If you oppose me politically and stop me from getting my way, I'm going to send you to prison.' ...What kind of political system do we want to participate in?"
There are three parts, which you can view on the Sam Adams Alliance's YouTube channel. Here's part three, where Paul wraps it all up and talks about the impact to our rights and our way of life...
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…you’d better forget about dressing up for Halloween this year—or you might get arrested.
I’ve written before about outrageous laws that plague our nation, and when Sarah sent me a link to a blog discussing outrageous laws in
My favorite is the state statute entitled “Improper use of national anthems,” which bans singing or playing the “Star Spangled Banner” or “Oh Fair New Mexico” in public except as an “entire separate composition or number.”
Check out the rest here.
In Georgia, really not all that much, which is why there's a $16 billion shortfall.
Loyal readers of this blog know that I'm from Georgia, so this story strikes a special chord in me. I think about the dollar amount--$16 billion is big, and could buy lots of hard-working Georgians a lot of food, housing, cars, education, and could create many new jobs, among other things. And then I think about the fact that it's merely the shortfall in the government's pension system for its employees. It's the amount that the government's bank accounts are lacking to pay former state employees for work that they're not doing anymore.
It's a similar problem to the one that Paul Jacob outlined in The Late Great Social Security System earlier this week.
We can't keep paying people generous pensions without an eye toward the future. And that's common sense.
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Spend more money than you take in? Of course you don't--perish the thought! But Martin Co., Florida does, and an organization down there has some tips for how it might change its spendthrift ways.
Donald Pickard--president of the Martin County Taxpayers Association--has a great column in the Treasure Coast Palm today, in which he lays out the county's financial problems and suggests some remedies (of which I've excerpted)...
1. Use professional negotiators for all future union and senior staff contracts, especially the administration’s pending union contract.
Would you believe that a government wouldn't use a pro negotiator when renewing government worker contracts? I do.
2. Develop and adopt a 5-year budget, updated yearly.
3. Set “cost-of-living-plus” maximum budget increases for every department.
You do these things in your home, so why can't your county?
5. Institute new personnel policies that reward merit and responsibility, using a valid performance-measurements system.
Don't businesses do this? Why can't government?
Read more in the entire column.
The United States Constitution recently celebrated its 220th birthday. Its birthplace? The city of Philadelphia. Yes, back in good ole’ 1787, when politicians were actually trying to figure out the best way to keep the government out of citizens’ lives, Philadelphia was a bastion for these ideas. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case.
Philadelphia is now being flooded with nanny laws and it also has a way to enforce them: surveillance cameras. On the day that Ewan McGregor announced his disdain for the Orwellian behavior of London, Philadelphia has decided to follow that city’s lead and install $10 million worth of surveillance cameras to deter crime, all paid for by the fine citizens of Philadelphia.
However, how much crime will this move really deter? There are surveillance cameras in convenience stores and they get robbed all the time. Could this instead be a way to enforce the new anti-smoking ban, which prohibits smoking up to 20 feet in front of locations like bars, which will most definitely be in view of these cameras? Deputy Police Commissioner John Gaittens was quoted as saying, “I envision cameras in just every district of the city down the road.” “Just every district,” Commissioner? What’s next? “Just every home?”
These new laws are simply an excuse for government to intrude on the lives of its citizens in ways that the founders of our country never intended. It is a sad day indeed when the city that gave us the Constitution, and is home to the liberty bell, chooses to enact laws that betray the very principles that their city, and country, were founded upon.
Stories that belong in the Nanny State files always interest me—I often post about them here—so when today I came across an interview with David Harsanyi, the author of new book “Nanny State: How Food Fascists, Teetotaling Do-Gooders, Priggish Moralists, and other Boneheaded Bureaucrats are Turning America into a Nation of Children,” I was intrigued.
Harsanyi talks about how he was influenced by Milton Friedman, and about how the importance of individual freedom was instilled in him early on from his parents, who left communist
The book looks very interesting, and the interview is a great read—check it out here.
I just posted about the 12 elected officials in Tennessee who were told that their meetings weren't allowed to be kept secret from the public - and their taxpayer-funded retaliation effort.
Well, Tennessee citizens aren't the only ones standing up against hidden government. In New Hampshire, Granite Grok is going through a very similar case.
Granite Grok also shares this fine quote:
Loren Cochan, director of the Freedom of Information Service Center at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in Arlington, Va., said a national trend may be developing at the local level."We are seeing that the public is standing up and complaining when they are shut out," he said.
One of my favorite Common Sense columns contrasts "The Two Americas."
Here's a snippet:
"There is the vibrant America . . . and the stagnant one.
There is the America of ever-increasing wealth, innovation, creativity, of a dynamic economy, new jobs, new products and services. Choices galore.
And there is the politician's America: The regulated America, the subsidized America, the earmarked America. The failing America."
Today, Nick over at Right Michigan compares what could be called "The Two Michigans." There are those who solve problems with free market solutions, and those who create more regulations whenever a problem arises.
Sam has an article on PajamasMedia--one of the biggest conservative/free-market blogs--about Paul Jacob and the Oklahoma 3.
Here's a bit from the piece:
On paper, the charges are “conspiracy to defraud the state” because of a baseless claim that they—the “Oklahoma Three”—violated an Oklahoma statute requiring petition circulators to be residents while they were working on a Taxpayer Bill of Rights petition during the summer of 2006. (Carpenter was also charged with filing a false, fraudulent, felonious, and fictitious initiative petition.)
On paper, that is. But this outrageous and baseless indictment is really about the fact that the Oklahoma Three dared to use their First Amendment right to petition the government. The indictment is about suppressing the citizen initiative process—at least when the people in charge don’t like the politics of the initiatives.
After a judge came down on local officials in Knoxville, Tennessee for holding closed-door meetings, these same local officials started trying to get sunshine laws changed. They've been using taxpayer-funded lobbying in an attempt to make it so they can get away with keeping things secretive next time.
Thanks to Taxing Tennessee for the story and The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government for speaking out against this shady move.
In my post yesterday about Cook County Board President Todd Stroger’s proposed budget, in which he believed it was fiscally responsible to take more taxes than necessary, I guessed that
It turns out I was right: click here to read a few taxpayers’ responses to the proposed budget.
And if you haven’t gotten a chance to speak up about this outrage yet, you still have time.
There are just so many ways to spend our money, and Congress, lately, has been looking for new ones. No surprise, then, when we hear of Senate tempers flaring on that pressing issue: the proposed Woodstock museum for Upstate New York.
Yes, yesterday brought fresh excitement to the Senate floor as the museum's $1 million of federal funding was actually voted down. Yes, that's right. Too bad the funds were just shifted elsewhere. But that's another story.
Read all about the debacle here at Politico. Emotional stuff.
Of his colleagues' audacity in withholding the funding, New York's Senator Schumer seemed very upset, saying - "If you believe in helping counties, if you believe that every one of us wants the federal government to not just pass broad-brush programs, but to help individual needs in our states... this is the project."
Goodness, Mr. Schumer. This is the project? Not just any project, folks. This is the project.
"Maybe this is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius for taxpayers," said Oklahoma Senator Ted Coburn in voting it all down.
The Age of Aquarius. Oh, if only.
Asking for open records can seem daunting, but it really isn't. You can do a lot of good with only a little effort (and a lot of patience).
Elizabeth at the NTU blog posted a link to a FOI letter generator hosted by the Student Press Law Center. You can go there, enter your contact information, what you're looking for and who you're sending it to, and you're done. (Then comes the waiting, which can be lengthy as I learned from a former bureaucrat during my meeting in Maine last week. She told me that it's often true that open records requests are stonewalled by the bureaucrats who are supposed to fulfill them. Too bad.)
So send your letters now--it really couldn't be easier. And for more tips on the FOIA and open records, visit WikiFOIA.org.
Hat-tip: Elizabeth at NTU's Government Bytes
I think someone needs to explain what “fiscal responsibility” means to Todd Stroger, the Cook County Board President.
Some might say it refers to elected officials spending taxpayer dollars frugally and wisely, or to making sure that the government budget is balanced.
Stroger, however, believes it’s fiscally responsible to take more taxes than necessary, and then he might be able to give some of it back later.
I don’t buy it, and I don’t imagine any other Chicago taxpayers will, either. Read more here.
That's what Jo Egelhoff of Appleton, WI did about 10 years ago, and to this day taxpayers are being protected from arbitrary, unaccountable tax increases.
Jo--whom I met at the Americans for Prosperity summit in Washington, D.C. earlier this month--runs FoxPolitics.net, a popular blog that tracks political developments in the Fox River Valley, where Jo lives, and elsewhere.
Jo wrote recently about her experience getting taxpayer protection in the law:
Wisconsin doesn’t allow statewide, citizen-initiated referendums. But statutes do allow – and are very specific about – a group of citizens to petition their city or village via direct legislation. And that’s just what I and a couple of stalwart taxpayer advocates did in 1996.
Check out more on her blog. I'll be following up with her about this later.
And be sure to also read her account of yesterday's taxpayers' rally in Madison. Apparently a union mob showed up to yell and swear at the taxpayers. A starker contrast could not be drawn.
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We do some thinking over here at Sam Adams, but not as much as they do at IPI, Illinois's free-market think tank, which celebrated its fifth birthday last month.
The Illinois Policy Institute's mission is to develop policies that advance the cause of free enterprise and limited government. They're currently developing policies for school choice, health care and tax reform. It may sound pretty dull here, but the work that they're doing is extremely important.
Sam Adams Alliance board member and IPI chairman and CEO John Tillman spoke at the anniversary luncheon last month, where he mused about IPI's past and future. (He also mentioned Sam!)
Check out the video below, and be sure to visit IPI's YouTube channel to see the other remarks at the luncheon, including a talk by the world-famous Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform.
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I wrote last week about the efforts of the Big Sugar lobby to push a Farm Bill that would increase sugar subsidies, when the current support price is already twice the world average.
In addition to irritating me, it got me thinking about a book I read in college, which was written by one of my favorite professors. It’s called “The Myth of the Robber Barons” by Burton W. Folsom, and it’s a fantastic book that dispels the belief that successful entrepreneurs built their wealth by pursuing supposedly anti-competitive or unfair business practices—and discusses the failure of government subsidies.
Folsom outlines the work of various hard-working independent entrepreneurs, whose success sparked a tremendous economic expansion and made the
Congress should reflect on this history lesson when considering passing the Farm Bill that would boost sugar subsidies even higher. And, everyone should read this book—it’s an important piece of our history, and a great read to boot.
As a cheerleader for liberty and limited government, my “govdar” is always signaling in on infractions and abuses that pop up in the news. It seems like everyday there’s another article about taxes being raised, signature gatherers getting thrown out, someone’s home or business being ripped away from them, or some other transgression on the part of the government.
So when something good actually shows up, it’s no surprise that I feel a little caught off guard. That’s what happened the other day when I learned of a Web site called “Window on State Government ,” brought to the state of Texas by the Office of the Comptroller. Not only does this site exist, but it was also given its own advertisement on the front of the Houston Chronicle . According to Janet Elliot of the Chronicle, “Anyone with strong eyeballs and an investigative spirit now can search for pork or find out if their neighbor's business sells widgets to the state.”
Among many other services, you can view state expenditures in the section “Where the Money Goes,” search for and claim property under “Texas Unclaimed Property,” and learn more about the franchise tax by joining a “Franchise Tax Tour.” In a world of unaccountability, this Web site is a sight for sore eyes- even if it does take “strong eyeballs.”
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I don't smoke. I don't like smelling it in the air or on my clothes--it's just not my thing. But I am upset that governments throughout the country (and the world) increasingly believe that it's their place to tell people where they can and cannot smoke.
As I was in the elevator this morning, on my way up to work, I saw on the little TV screen that the Chicago park system is likely to approve a ban on smoking on beaches and parks in the city. This comes after they've banned it in government buildings (fine) and private restaurants and bars (not so fine).
You can read about it in the Chicago Tribune, where there's a picture of volunteers picking up cigarette butts that inconsiderate smokers leave behind. I think that volunteers are great, but apparently the environmentalists who usually pick up the butts don't like doing their job all that much, which is why they're calling for the hand of government to sweep in and prevent free people from doing free things, outside on public property:
Environmentalists have pushed for a ban for years, saying that during annual cleanup days they were able to pick up 10,000 cigarette butts an hour on Chicago beaches.
Boo-hoo. Since they care about it they should be happy to clean up, not advocate a law that punishes people with a $500 fine for lighting up.
I don't like bans like this because they set bad precedent ("What else is going to be banned by the government?"), and because I think that free people should be able to decide for themselves whether they want to be in the presence of smokers or not.
And now Oakland's gone ever farther than Chicago, banning smoking in ATM lines and bus stops. Give me a break. Where next, any street? Inside multi-family houses? Inside your own home?
To borrow a phrase from Voltaire: "I may not like that you smoke, but I will defend your right to do it."
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In the recent Sam Adams Alliance Quarterly,
As noted by the Alleghany Institute, Governor Rendell’s $600-850 million state energy independence plan includes efforts to subsidize energy conservation efforts and “alternative energy” companies. While the Commonwealth Foundation proposes several principles to guide energy policy (see above link), Lowman Henry of the Lincoln Institute believes Rendell’s efforts are aimed at establishing credentials for a Secretary of Energy post if a Democratic administration takes the White House in 2008. Republicans of the state House of Representatives have criticized the plan because of the proposed method of obtaining funding for it: “a new surcharge on electricity use.”
So you would think the Republicans would fight to restore the right of the taxpayer? Not according to Mr. Henry. The Republican proposal for energy independence is similar to that of Governor Rendell, sans the surcharge on electricity use. However Mr. Henry argues that with the Republican proposal, an increase in taxes would most likely end up occurring anyway.
This proves Mr. Tsarpalas’ claim of no “meaningful political change” occurring from the current political party system. The taxpayer ends up footing the bill, and the political parties reap the benefits. Fortunately think tanks such as the Lincoln Institute and the Commonwealth Foundation monitor tax increases and propose alternatives to these increases. As the Foundation notes, energy conservation efforts should be led by the market. Politics for personal gain should have no role on this issue. It is time also that Republican members of the
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Having never run for public office, I must admit that I don’t have a lot of experience with campaign strategy. However, I am confident in saying that this isn’t a wise one.
Three weeks from the mayoral election in Flint, Michigan, incumbent Don Williamson apparently used taxpayer funds to mail letters to all Flint residents, assuring them that there is no deficit, which has been a major issue in the mayoral campaign as many citizens (and Williamson’s opponent, Dayne Walling) believe there is a $20 million budget shortfall.
$20 million shortfall aside, if funded by taxpayers, the letter is an illegal use of public funds for campaign purposes.
So, let’s recap: Williamson apparently wasted taxpayer funds to sweep an alleged $20 million deficit under the rug, an action that is illegal in the first place. Well, he’s a shoo-in for re-election!
...is under serious threat by two groups of people: 1. Government school employees who don't relish the idea of having to compete for students; and 2. People who misunderstand the nature of government spending. Allow me to explain.
School vouchers are good because they allow parents get a voucher from the government to pay for some or all of their child's tuition at a school--public, private, charter or religious--outside of their assigned district. This allows parents to send their kids to school where it benefits them most, a freedom that isn't available if a child is stuck in a particular school district.
The short-term effect is better education for the student; the medium and long-term effects are better schools everywhere thanks to the miracle of competition. When schools have to provide the best service to students in order to attract them, overall quality goes up, test scores increase and more people get the chance to get into college.
The way that the value of vouchers are usually calculated is usually as a percentage of the amount that would otherwise be spent per pupil in the area public school. For example, I know that in Illinois, the annual spending per pupil is about $10,000. A school voucher program here might be worth 40% of that--$4,000--so to defray government school administrative costs and provide enough for a good religious or even private school tuition.
Now that I've explained that, let me address a letter that I read today in the Salt Lake Tribune, a major paper in Utah, where, like I wrote, a major educational freedom has been enacted (but faces a serious challenge this November).
In a letter entitled "Vote down vouchers," John Nelson laments the fact that Utah is at the bottom of the list of states when it comes to spending on the government school system. I really see no problem with that--that isn't the issue. The issue should be one of performance, not how much is spent.
His main complaint with the idea of vouchers, however, is the fact that wealthy families will be able to get the same vouchers as all other Utahans:
"...[W]here will the money come from? It'll come out of your pocket one way or another. Do you want your tax money to be given to wealthy families who want you to subsidize their children's private education?"
Here's the truth: Even the children of wealthy parents are eligible to go to public schools, where thousands of dollars of tax money would be spent on them regardless of how much their household income is. (Besides, how many "wealthy families" are there in Utah? Compared to the overall population that would benefit from school choice, my guess is that it's very few, just like everywhere else.)
The point of a voucher program is to give parents a say in where their kids go to school, and also where to spend a portion of the money that would be spent on them on them anyway.
To answer your question, Mr. Nelson--"Where will the money come from?"--I'll say this: It'll come from the taxpayers, yes, but at least now, it'll create an environment for better educated children and better public and private schools. The money comes from the taxpayers now, so absolutely nothing changes in that regard.
To borrow a phrase from the Lending Tree commercial (while substituting one word): "Because when schools compete, you win."
Find out more about the Utah voucher program and the campaign to keep it alive at choiceineducation.org.
Last week, several members of the Sam team traveled to
While there, Jodi spoke to Ed Morrissey at Blog Talk Radio about what the Sam Adams Alliance is up to. Check it out here (Jodi comes on about 16 minutes into the program).
Paul Jacob appeared on last Sunday's episode of the Downsize DC radio show. I really like the work that Downsize DC does, so it should come at no surprise that they like the work that Sam Adams (and Paul) does.
Check it out. Jim Babka talks with Paul for about half an hour on his recent indictment in Oklahoma, as well as Paul's support for a common sense policy that--gee whiz--requires that legislators actually read the bills that they eventually vote on.
...and how he and the entire "Oklahoma 3" sought to obey the law when they helped to give Oklahoma citizens a voice in their government last year.
Watch part two of my recent interview with Paul Jacob, and be sure to visit freepauljacob.com for the latest on The Oklahoma 3.
It’s that time again—the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is begging for more state funding.
Today, ChicagoCard holders received an e-mail from CTA president Ron Huberman, sadly announcing the unveiling of the 2008 budget, which includes a series of service cuts, fare increases, and layoffs. And, of course, there was a heavy dose of blame on the Illinois Legislature, and strong urging for Chicagoans to tell the Legislature how badly the CTA needs more funding.
Basically, the CTA wants us to beg for higher taxes in order to solve their mismanagement crisis.
In addition to the CTA email, I received one from the National Taxpayers Union encouraging citizens to tell
I don't think I need to tell you whose advice I'm going to take.
Taxpayers usually have a pretty good idea of what their tax dollars are supposed to fund—you know, law enforcement, economic infrastructure, the operation of the government itself, seductive signs advertising topless cabarets, etc.
Wait, what?!
Only in
Read the whole story here, and take the online poll expressing your opinion over this outrageous twist in tax purpose. (The good news is that 62 percent of people already voted “Heck, no!” when asked if the Olympic Garden should get the sign on the taxpayer dime—do your part, too, and say “heck, no!”)
Nic wasn’t exaggerating about the mountain of taxes we Chicagoans pay every day, and it doesn’t look like the mountain is going to be shrinking any time soon—today, according to the Chicago Tribune, Mayor Daley unveiled a proposal for a $293 million tax, fee, and fine increase, including a 15 percent hike in the city’s property-tax levy, likely the biggest in Chicago history.
Click here to read more about the whopping tax increase Daley says is necessary to “keep
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I promised part two of my video interview with Paul today, but, as I sit typing in Maine, I lament the fact that the video's on a hard drive in Chicago. Silly me.
So check back next week for the video, and be sure visit the State Policy Network's website. Why? Huh? Where did that come from? Well, I'm at their annual meeting here in Portland, and they're putting on a great show, full of citizen leaders and think tankers from throughout the country. A report on the conference will be on its way...
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Halfway to the "el" (Chicago's elevated subway) I realize I forgot reading material for my morning commute. Dang.
25 minutes without anything to occupy my mind? Nothing but my imagination and/or observations of my immediate surroundings? I'd rather not.
So, in a somewhat defeated act, I picked up a RedEye. The RedEye, for those of you unfamiliar, is a free, tabloid-format daily that has the news quality of, say, Access Hollywood. Let's see: "Read My Lips...the secret to smart smooching" as the cover story? Today's edition doesn't appear to be an exception.
However, somewhere between perfecting kisses and a expose of Chicago-area psychics was a little gem entitled "Tax day is every day in Chicago", an article shedding light on the self-perpetuating flood of taxes Chicagoans pay out everyday, particularly those that by design go under the radar.
Soft-drink tax. Wheel tax. Amusement tax. Restaurant tax. Of course, that's just to name a few. Coming soon? Perhaps a bottled-water tax. As the article states, "it's not easy to keep track of all the times the city dings you because it has about two dozen different--and sometimes obscure and stealthy--ways to do it."
Well, that's an understatement.
Civic Federation, a tax watchdog group referenced in the article, has stepped up to the daunting task of tracking the Chicago tax fog with their latest research report "Selected Consumer Taxes in the City of Chicago", published earlier today.
Check it out. I did. And you know what? I'm actually thinking of supporting Adbusters's "Buy Nothing Day". Not to protest consumerism, of course. That's just silly. But rather to indirectly protest the beast that is Chicago taxes.
I interviewed Paul about his indictment this past week on SamTV. Check out part one today, and come back tomorrow for the rest.
I like sugar as much as the next person. What I don’t like, however, are “Big Sugar” lobbyists and their persistent efforts to obtain government handouts at the expense of taxpayers.
I received an e-mail from Citizens Against Government Waste today letting me know that the Big Sugar lobby has pushed the House of Representatives to pass a Farm Bill that raises sugar supports and places more regulations on imports, among other things.
To quote from the e-mail:
“The federal sugar program already guarantees
…
But most outrageous is the new House-passed plan to force the government to buy surplus sugar from
If you’re outraged, do something about it: tell the Senate to reject this outrageous subsidy.
It's been a busy day in the blogosphere - find out what people are talking about in this wrap-up of the day's news.
In Wisconsin, it looks like would-be citizen watchdogs are going to have to pay money to access court documents that used to be free to the public.
According to a Media Matters study, Oklahoma opinion pages are dominated by conservatives. At the same time, a study that's not paid for by the same folks who pay for MoveOn.org, the unbiased The Gallup Poll, says that Republicans remain deeply distrustful of the media.
The housing marketing in Oregon is a mess - and it's no wonder. After all, tax subsidies to the tune of $53 million were pumped into the area, leaving owners with homes worth $800,000 with property tax bills of less than $200.
Kids aren't making it to school in St. Louis, Missouri - that's because the bus drivers are on strike for the second day in a row.
In California, the leader of the California Assembly, Speaker Fabian Nuñez, is under scrutiny for spending campaign funds on extravagant trips, shopping, and dining.
It's school district referendum seasons - the education unions are out in full force again this year, reminding voters that the only solution to all of the public education problems is more money. Freedom Dogs in Minnesota reminds voting taxpayers to not to roll over, and has signs for those who live in District 281.
The Framer is thinking about running for a legislative seat in Arizona - he shares some campaign signage tips he's picked up with his readers.
Speaking of campaign tips, Michigan taxpayers are angry about the recent tax hikes and this site explains how to run a recall.
Although most of the smart reforms were not passed during the recent Michigan government standoff, there was one reform that eeked by: Now school districts must explore ways to save money on employees' health insurance. Can you believe that they didn't have to do this before?
Kyle Olson of the MI-based Education Action Group, along with Dick Morris, last Thursday published a column in the Detroit News:
The new law requires school boards to solicit four bids for health care benefits for school employees. Perhaps the most profound of the changes forces existing companies and third party administrators to release anonymous claims history. This piece is critical because it allows competing companies to give more accurate bids.
But school boards must not be cowed by pushy unions, and actually take advantage of this new route to competition (and saving the taxpayers a lot of money):
But the estimated savings will only be realized if school board members make decisions on health coverage based on actual bids and not on bargaining requirements. An MEA local may still insist on the district buying through MESSA, even if it isn't the lowest bidder. Board members have a fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers to get the best deal so more tax dollars flow to the classroom. Every taxpayer should demand their school board take advantage of the power this school reform gives them. It is one more way to send dollars to where they're needed most: directly educating our kids.
I heard a lot about the First Amendment this weekend at the SPJ conference—and of course, our very own Paul Jacob is in the midst of defending citizens’ First Amendment right to petition their government after an outrageous and entirely political indictment from the Oklahoma Attorney General.
This is all very good—it’s important to stand up for our constitutional rights.
But after all this First Amendment coverage, I feel a tiny bit sorry for the other, often-neglected Amendments. That’s why I’m so glad to see this Onion report, giving the Third Amendment its long-overdue attention.
I just attended a fantastic session at the SPJ conference, led by Ken Paulson, editor of USA Today. Paulson gave a dynamic and impassioned presentation about how important a free press is to sustaining our republic.
In the 1950s and 1960s, journalism was regarded as an exciting, energetic, and incredibly important profession. Just think back…popular culture’s representation of the newspaper world says it all: Superman’s alter ego, Clark
Today, however, journalists are regarded much more unfavorably—and conservatives aren’t the only ones who feel this way. Almost 40 percent of Americans believe journalists have too much freedom, over 80 percent believe the media is biased in some way, and all three branches of government are hostile toward a free press.
The journalism field may have its flaws, but I can tell you that the 300 people sitting with me in Paulson’s session are adamant about liberty, about defending the Founders’ vision of a Republic with a free press, and about having the freedom to keep an eye on governments that abuse their power.
“We need to give the American public a little Bogart, a little
In closing, the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
“Those 45 words are what really make
Check back on Monday for my video interview of Paul Jacob on his troubles in Oklahoma.
I caught up with him in D.C. today at the Americans for Prosperity summit.
Georgia. Illinois. Wisconsin. Arizona. Those are just a few states represented today at the Americans for Prosperity 'Defending the Dream' summit in Washington, D.C. And the people from those states are many who are on the front-lines, working for better government accountability and transparency.
I've been in and out of Bloggers' Row today, meeting such electro-personalities as Fausta Wertz of Pajamas Media; Jo Egelhoff of FoxPolitics.Net; Mary Katharine Ham of Townhall.com; and Steve Eggleston of No Runny Eggs. These are the people on the front-lines within the blogosphere and really have the scoop on the important stories going down. MSM, beware.
Do you have a blog? Make one if you don't. Come to think of it, do you have an AFP chapter in your state? You should, and if you don't you should start one. We're happy to help, too, and can get you in touch with the folks who have already had such great success.
If Sam were here with me in D.C. he would be proud.
Want to meet some Samployees today? Happen to be in D.C.? Then stop by our booth or bloggers' row so that we can share notes.
And if you want to appear on SamTV, just look around for the roaming video camera on the show floor. We're the people with the Sam Adams bobbleheads in our hands--you can't miss us.
(Conference details are here: defendingthedream.org.
I’m here for the next few days attending a conference put on by the Society of Professional Journalists, and I’m looking forward to a lot of interesting sessions. Some of the other Sam staff will be in D.C. as well, at the Americans for Prosperity Defending the American Dream Summit. So, if you’re in town, stop by their booth (at the Mayflower Hotel) to say hello and get a Sam Adams bobblehead!
Anyway, over at the SPJ conference, I just attended a session offering some really useful information. The session, “Hot New Research Tools for Journalists,” outlined some great web resources invaluable to not only journalists, but also any citizen who wants to hold their government accountable. Check them out:
50-State Legislative Tracking Web Resources
In a truly patriotic move, New York Assemblyman Michael Benjamin introduced a bill on Friday that would make the cupcake the official state snack of New York and thereby allow it to return to schools to be enjoyed by children the way our founding fathers would have wanted. The cupcake, as well as other sugar-filled delicacies, have recently been banned in the New York public schools as a way to help curb childhood obesity. Encouraging children to exercise and play sports may also achieve the same end, without banning a popular birthday snack.
“The way the American eagle is the official national bird and it’s illegal to harm one—my thought is, you make the cupcake something similar, and leave the cupcake alone,” Benjamin said.
Assemblyman Benjamin recognizes the problem of childhood obesity and has been a part the effort to help promote healthy choices to children. However, he stated that cupcakes at school were not to blame for childhood obesity, but rather parents who allow their children to live unhealthy lifestyles, such as “eating at fast-food restaurants or sitting at home watching TV or playing video games and stuffing their faces with potato chips and Cheez Whiz.”
We salute Assemblyman Benjamin and his crusade against the nanny state.
It looks like Leon Drolet and the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance aren’t the only ones fighting Governor Granholm’s tax hikes.
The Taxpayer United Michigan Foundation is planning to respond with a lawsuit, on the grounds that Granholm violated Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act, Open Meetings Act, and Headlee Tax Limitation Amendment, which guarantees citizens the right to vote on any state income or sales tax hikes.
Watch out, Jenny. Michigan taxpayers are fed up.
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