I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.
Pablo Picasso
Image of the Day
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| Via the Libertarian Catholic |
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| Krugman believes in hard asset currency--$1T platinum coins... Via here |
The End of the Berlin Wall Anniversary
Facebook Corner
(Libertarian Republic). What Do You Make Of Mitch McConnell's Presidential Rand Paul Endorsement?
McConnell's dream is to be a modern-day Henry Clay, a great compromiser. Rand Paul was perhaps the most requested politician during the Senate campaign that won McConnell his desired Majority Leader status. It's not a mystery why McConnell would endorse Rand Paul.
(Libertarian Republic). What Do You Make Of Mitch McConnell's Presidential Rand Paul Endorsement?
He and Pat Roberts owe Rand big time for his campaign efforts - coalition building as a Libertarian within the GOP - just lIke his Dad
What coalition building of Ron Paul? As far as I know, his only legislative success was a one-time Fed audit with Alan Grayson (i.e., you may remember him as the Dem who argued the GOP healthcare plan was for sick people to hurry up and die).
(IPI). Despite investment returns exceeding 13% last year, the state’s pension payment to the Teachers’ Retirement System increased yet again. Illinois taxpayers are slated to pay an additional $300 million more into the system they did last year.
If the politicians didn't rob the fund they wouldn't have had this problem. Pay what you promised to existing vested employees. New hires get a 401k.
So many things wrong with this thread, it's difficult to know where to start. First of all, new employees with 401/403 type plans is a necessary, but insufficient reform--after all, younger teachers make less than older teachers. The problem is that you have an explosion of people who will be retired for up to 30 or more years, drawing more in retirement than the average taxpayer makes. Illinois' pensions are STILL the worst funded in the nation and a healthy system would be at least 100% funded in the depths of the recession. What you people don't get is when the fund loses money in a recession, Illinois taxpayers are going to make to make up the difference. You are going to need to implement reforms and get givebacks from unions/retirees or you are looking at tax increases and decreased essential services.
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I'm still wondering what so many idiots continue to repeat the LIE that politicians "stole" from the pension fund. Are you referring to loans or deferred liabilities? The state is still liable for any loans or liabilities for payments to retirement. The more serious problem is the bad, incompetent actuarial statistics behind the pension fund, including a longer retirement tenure and unrealistic investment return. The state has been chronically underfunding contributions, not knowingly but incompetently.
(Reason). The GOP shouldn't confuse rejection of Barack Obama's failed policies for an embrace of a conservative agenda. If Republicans make that mistake, their majority will be on the chopping block next time around.
First of all, I do think Gillespie is right in a sense; the voters can turn in a heartbeat, and I think the GOP learned its lesson from the elections of 2006 and 2008. I do think the GOP knows the party had high negatives going into the election and many elections were won or lost on fairly narrow margins. The GOP still has problems with women and minorities. I do think that with power comes responsibility, and there will be expectations on what a GOP Congress can get done under lame duck Obama. Obama's defensive reaction to the midterms hinting at vetoes and executive orders is not promising. I think the GOP's problems are more managing expectations of what can be done with Obama in the White House and internal battles between moderate and more radical reformers on domestic policy.
Still, I think Gillespie is raising a false issue on social issues; many of the issues (abortion and "gay marriage") are state, not federal issues, they were not salient for the key Senate races (and so hardly constitute a mandate), and in any event, the Democrats have enough votes to block relevant Constitutional amendments. (There may be some relevant tweaks, say, in healthcare funding/regulations.)
I think you'll see more focus on the budget, tax/regulatory/healthcare policy, energy issues, entitlements, more accountability (audit of the Fed and DoD) and assertion of Congressional rights on Obama's use of the military.
Proposals
Political Cartoon
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| Courtesy of the original artist via IPI |
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| Courtesy of Gary McCoy via Townhall |
Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville, "All My Life"
