This is a question that comes up every year when we do the State GOP Resolutions. My answer is ultimately yes they matter a great deal.
Resolutions are the current thoughts of the party. They are a road map for our elected officials to follow based on what we as grass root members would like to see. When you compare the resolutions of both parties you will see the differences.
Kay at Blue Racine was kind enough to supply the link to the Wisconsin Democrat’s 2007 Resolutions that were passed at this year’s state convention.
Now for those of you that know me I just love this type of stuff. I read every one of their resolutions and I believe I will be spending a great deal of time going through them and comparing them to the GOP resolutions.
I think that it is important for people to understand that while the Democrats talk about helping all they really want to do is tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend. (You’ll think that is funny once you read resolution 07-FA-07)
Since I want to analyze the resolutions lets start with the most obvious: repeats. The Democrats have a total of 46 resolutions (10 of which were proposed from the floor); there are 2 resolutions on global warming; 2 resolutions on ending the war in Iraq; 6 resolutions to impeach the President and/or Vice President; 2 resolutions to repeal the USA PATRIOT Act; 4 resolutions on Campaign Financing; 6 resolutions claiming support for “universal health care.”
The GOP had zero repeat resolutions. (link)
From the looks of things the Dems just got lazy. They decided that the work needed to review all of the redundancy in the multiple resolutions was just too much and that it was easier to just pass them all. Unfortunately for them if an undecided voter were to read through this (like that would happen for either of the parties resolutions!) they would quickly come to the conclusion that these people have nothing to offer but the beat of the drum.
Last quick note on this will be to look at the number of Democrat resolutions that require taxes to be increased…nearly 50% of them are tax increase resolutions! Remind your friends and family the next time they mention their tax bills!!
I’m sure some of you are waiting for this week’s math problem…well you are going to have to wait until I get an answer to last week’s problem.
Solve for x, y, and z:
3y + 9 = -3x/2
2x – y – 3z = -17
6z – 8x + 4 = 32
I’ll help you a bit:
For one of the equations you will solve for z.
For another equation you will solve for y.
In the last equation you will use substitution.
I have to say that I am not too surprised that the following people are out --
CNN.com: GOP hopeful Tommy Thompson abandons presidential bid
Tommy is a down home folksy type of guy…someone you might like to hang out with around the backyard keg…not really the guy you’d want in the White House! I wish Tommy all the best and still hope that maybe we can convince him to run against Russ Feingold….now that would be a race worth watching!!!!
AP: Karl Rove to resign at end of August
While Mr. Rove is considered “the architect” he has also been a lightning rod. Democrats have made Rove the most hated man in the GOP and I have great respect for the guy because he has not let that disrupt his ultimate job…getting Republicans elected. Unfortunately Republicans and Conservatives don’t see eye to eye on everything as was made abundantly clear in 2006.
Mr. Rove has done his part and now he can sit back and wait for the next big fish. Unfortunately for Mr. Rove the Democrats will see him coming from miles away this time.
Good luck Tommy and Karl.
Just when we were beginning to think that space was going to be the new frontier.
8/2/07 
CBC: Russia plants flag staking claim to Arctic Region
8/9/07
BBC: Canada PM asserts Arctic claims
8/10/07
AP: Denmark maps Arctic Region in claims race
I wonder where the US is in all this mess. Where is our claim to the Arctic? Are we going to allow all these other countries quibble over the region and not get our share? Is this just a shameful ploy by the Russians to create an issue where none exists?
And in case you miss the old space race…China is coming on strong. They first launched a man into space in late 2005 and are setting sites on their first space walk in 2008. Today China has a new claim…
Reuters: China to map "every inch" of moon surface: report
My wife and I attended the State Fair yesterday and had the opportunity to look at both the Democrat and the Republican booths and we noted a couple of unique items related to the straw polls offered by both parties.
First off the Republicans were using the straw poll as a mini fundraiser asking for participants to contribute a quarter for their vote. No one was turned away if they didn’t have a quarter but it was a great idea. We did not note anything like this at the Democrat booth.
The second thing that jumped out at us, and the most startling, was the way the poll was being conducted. Republicans used solid containers to conceal how others had voted, while the Democrat’s used see through containers that exposed the vote for everyone to see. Now this might not seem that strange but when you consider that human nature is to side with a winner the Democrat poll is going to be slanted.
What do you think…should we know how the majority is voting before we vote?
This week’s was hard for me to identify…and I chose it!!
9 out of 10!
Good Luck.
If you were so inclined to look up “decagon, perpendicular, area” on yahoo you could have gone to a website that would have said the following:
3. Given the apothem (inradius)
If you know the apothem, or inradius, (the perpendicular distance from center to a side. See figure above)where
A is the length of the apothem (inradius)
N is the number of sides
TAN is the tangent function calculated in radians (see Trigonometry Overview).
Area = (14^2)(10)tan(3.1415/10) = (196*10)tan(0.314) = (1960)(.325) = 637 (approximately due to rounding)
The alternative is based on what steveegg was hinting at:
All of the angles in a regular decagon are equal to 144 degrees. If we draw a line from the center of the decagon to a vertex you will bisect the angle forming two 72 degree angles and a triangle. We can compute the area of the triangle using the following equation:
Area (triangle) = ½ base * height
We know the height and we can compute the base since we know the measurement of the interior angles using the following:
Tan (of interior angle) = opposite/adjacent
Or tan (72) = 14/?
? = 14/tan(72) = 14/3.1 = 4.5
Then using the area formula for a triangle:
Area (triangle) = ½ (4.5) (14) = 31.5
Since the decagon can be divided into 20 of these triangles the area of the triangle is multiplied by 20 and you get an approximate area of 630.
Now tell me that wasn’t fun! I know I’m a geek!
This week we will take a small step backward.
Solve for x, y, and z:
3y + 9 = -3x/2
2x – y – 3z = -17
6z – 8x + 4 = 32
If I hear one more liberal jump on the band wagon trying to pin the terrible event that occurred last week in Minnesota on Republicans I’m going to really hurt someone!
Here are the facts that most liberals don’t want to face:
- In our $2.7 tillion Federal Budget we spend only 1.7% on Highways and Mass Transit
- We spend 20.5% on Social Security – in case you were wondering that would be an entitlement program!
- 12.7% on Medicare – or in other words socialized healthcare for the retired
- 7.1% on Medicaid – or socialized healthcare for the poor
So we spend approximately $1,090,061,000,000 on Social Welfare programs but only $45,783,000,000 on Highways and Mass Transit. If you can’t do the math, that means we spend nearly 24 times as much on social programs than we do on our basic infrastructure!
Based on this can we now say that Johnson’s “great society” is dead? How much longer are we going to allow the liberals to milk the society while the walls crumble?
I was on another site today and I noticed that there are still a lot of people out there that would love to see term limits placed on Congressman. This is an issue that is debated as a resolution every year for the GOP.
I for one believe that there are term limits in place already…they are called elections. Every 2 years for your Representative and every 6 years for our Senators we have to head to the polling place to cast our votes for these people. If you believe that the elected official is a bum then you really have to work hard to oust that person from their seat. It can be done. Incumbency is not a guarantee for reelection but it is definitely an advantage.
Placing term limits on legislators I believe is redundant. They are one of many, meaning that their vote does not count more just because they have been there for 2 dozen years. A Freshman Senator’s vote counts as 1 out of 100 just like Ted Kennedy’s.
Arguments for Executive offices’ can be made and I usually agree with those.
In a time when it is hard to find good Congressman why would we want to put in place a system that would only ensure that there is fresh blood in the seat every so many years versus ensuring that we vote for and elect good quality candidates.
This week’s I rate a 5 out of 10.
If you have a right triangle and you know the length of 2 of the sides you can figure out the length of the remaining side by using the Pythagorean Theorem.
a^2 + b^2 = c^2 (where c is the hypotenuse – the side across from the right angle)
Everyone got it right…the answer was 5. (if you’d like to see the work check out stevegg’s comments here.)
Compute the area of the following:
In case you missed it last night, Glenn Beck had State Senator Erpenbach on to defend the HUGE tax increase to those in Wisconsin. You can find the entire transcript here but these are some of my favorite parts:
GLENN BECK: I apologize to the people in Wisconsin, but believe it or not, I actually hope this passes, because, by bankrupting your state, it may be the best chance we have to prevent the other 49 states from making the same ludicrous and disastrous decision.You didn’t misread…Erpenbach actually called this $15.2 BILLION tax increase a tax cut!!
Jon Erpenbach is a Wisconsin state senator who supports the proposal. Hello, Senator, how are you, sir?
JON ERPENBACH, WISCONSIN STATE SENATOR: Hi, Glenn.
BECK: You`re going to convince me this is a state tax cut?
ERPENBACH: Well, it is. It actually is a tax cut. Glenn, listen to me.
BECK: Your taxes for a family will be about 20 percent of your family income, 20 percent, and that`s for the state. That`s higher than the federal in most cases.
ERPENBACH: Glenn, you can`t take the entire state budget and everything else, with the tobacco tax, and lump it all together with Healthy Wisconsin.
BECK: Oh, of course not.
ERPENBACH: You have to look at it separately.
BECK: Of course you do. That way you don`t realize that you`re paying 20 percent to the state.
…
BECK: I have 30 seconds. Let me just ask you this. Illegal aliens are going to get health care. If you have a company that is paying these people off of the books and they get health care, will you prosecute the companies for paying people off the books?
ERPENBACH: Well, I would hope that a company isn`t doing anything illegal in the state of Wisconsin...
BECK: Hope...
(CROSSTALK)
ERPENBACH: At the very least, if you`re an illegal alien and you have a job, you`re going to be paying for your own health care, just like I am.
BECK: I guess that`s a no. Thank you very much. That`s the "Real Story" tonight.
So remember folks when you are talking about this $15.2 BILLION TAX INCREASE point out to people that the State Democrats actually think this is a tax cut!!!
Here is the link to The Smoking Gun story: Dear Piece of Trash:
On GreenBayPressGazette.com you will find the following column: 'Madison Math': Make sure a cut is a cut written by State Representative Karl Van Roy (R – Hudson.)
The following analogy is great and I for one am going to use it everyday!
If you ask your boss for a $3 an hour raise and he agrees to give you $1, is it fair to tell your friends and relatives your boss just stuck it to you and gave you a $2 an hour pay cut?
He finishes the though by adding:
Telling people you were cut something that you never had in the first place is the scam of "Madison Math." It's not just misleading; it's dishonest. (emphasis added by gopfolk)
AP: Atlantic tropical storms have doubled
There are a group of researchers actually saying that there is a noticeable change in the number of tropical storms and hurricanes seen in the Atlantic in the last 100 years and that the “increase” in these storms is largely blamed on “man-made” global warming.
For those of you that actually pay attention to this issue it is worth noting that former IPCC hurricane scientist and current Science and Operations Officer for NOAA’s Hurricane Center, Chris Lansea, has labeled this research as “sloppy science” pointing out that “The doubling in the number of storms and hurricanes in 100 years that they found in their paper is just an artifact of technology, not climate change.”
Let us be really honest here, do you actually believe that we were able to see, and count, every tropical storm and hurricane in the Atlantic before that advent of satellite technology? There are a few of the blind “consensus” scientists saying that aircraft flights were enough to detect the storms back in the day…but those didn’t even begin until the 1940’s and surprise, surprise when these flights began to take place more storms were detected!
The Atlantic covers 1/5 of the Earth’s surface and is 41 million square miles…do you really think that planes could have detected all of the storms in the ocean? Enter into the picture satellites…and amazingly enough we detect even more storms!
May be these “scientists” should write a more realistic paper titled: Technology brings about more devastating storms to the world. At least their conclusions could be supported by their data!
From today’s Investor’s Business Daily Opinion section:
Posted 7/25/2007
Global Warming: A private firm's downgrade of its hurricane forecast raises an obvious question: If scientists can't get near-future projections in a limited area right, how can they predict the climate decades from now?
A reasonable response is: They can't. But the global warming climate of fear did not blow in on the soft breezes of reason, but by the storm winds of emotion.
Forecaster WSI Corp. said Tuesday that the season ending Nov. 30 will bring 14 named storms, six of which will grow into hurricanes, three of them major. WSI's initial forecast was for 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four majors.
Why the change? "Because," said WSI forecaster Todd Crawford, "ocean temperatures have not yet rebounded from the significant drop in late spring."
Could it be that the 2007 hurricane season is turning out to be as overrated as 2006? Remember last year's predictions — that we were in for a brutal spell of storms? It had been quiet, they said, and we were due for a series of Katrina-like hurricanes. But as we wrote last November, as the much-dreaded '06 season whimpered to a close, the storm year came in like a lamb and went out the same way.
For years, the Greenshirts have told us that emissions of carbon dioxide resulting from man's addiction to fossil fuel-based energy are turning the planet into a sweltering hothouse. The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change has projected a temperature increase of 2 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit for the 21st century due to the greenhouse effect.
As a result, alarmists say, ice caps will melt, glaciers will thaw and sea levels will rise as much as 20 feet, causing floods and death in low-lying areas. Storms are also predicted to increase in both frequency and intensity.
To prevent this coming Category 5 cataclysm, we're supposed to shell out trillions of dollars and gladly adopt Spartan lifestyles. Instead of trying, as their grandparents did, to see how many bodies they can squeeze into a telephone booth, today's college kids are expected to see how many they can get in a Prius.
Yet the fact remains: The local weatherman can't forecast more than about 10 days out, and neither can the experts tell us how warm, or cool, the planet is going to be in 2100, 2075 or
even 2050.Even short-term predictions have been off. James Hansen, NASA scientist, predicted a 0.45-degree Celsius (0.81-degree Fahrenheit) rise in global temperature from 1988 to 1997. But in reality (a place environmental activists rarely visit) the increase was a mere 0.11-degree Celsius.
We hope no one in Hansen's neighborhood relies on him to tell them when it's going to rain or when they'll need a coat and hat.
Setting aside the hubristic notion that alarmists know what the right temperature is, too many other factors besides the greenhouse effect influence climate for them to declare they know exactly, or even approximately, what's coming. Solar activity, for instance, is among the most powerful, as are the El Nino and La Nina phenomena.
We also question the concept of a "global" temperature. How could such a thing be measured when weather stations dot rather than blanket the Earth? Danish physicist Bjarne Andresen, a professor at the University of Copenhagen, made sense earlier this year when he said it's "impossible to talk about a single temperature for something as complicated as the climate of Earth.
"A temperature can be defined only for a homogeneous system (and) climate is not governed by a single temperature," he said. "Rather, differences of temperatures drive the processes and create the storms, sea currents, thunder, etc. , which make up the climate."
The formula for a climate of fear, though, requires nothing more than a lot of thunder and a bit of heat generated by political activists.
A headline I saw today on Drudge intrigued me: NOAA: Vegas Temps Down Since 1940’s. But the title is erroneous. If you click on the link you will see the following chart:
This is for the Average Maximum temperature by decade! As you can see there has been a decline in the Average Maximum but the headline was incorrect. It said the Vegas Temps Down Since 1940’s and this is not a factual statement.
If we look at the Average Minimum temperature by decade we see that there has been an increase during the same time:
Here is the Average Temperature by decade…it has increased 3 degrees since the 1940’s:
I am all for trying to debunk the "man-made" global warming nuts out there but using misleading data is just stooping to their level!
grumps came up with the right country - Bolivia!
This week there can be no complaining about the rating of the country since I can not make it any easier than a 1.
1 out of 10.
Last week I think I tripped a few of you up…Congrats to still unreal for getting the right answers.
sin θ = Opposite over Hypotenuse = Y/X
cos θ = Adjacent over Hypotenuse = Z/X
tan θ = Opposite over Adjacent = Y/Z
csc θ = 1/Opposite over Hypotenuse = 1/(Y/X) = X/Y
sec θ = 1/Adjacent over Hypotenuse = 1/(Z/X) = X/Z
cot θ = 1/Opposite over Adjacent = 1/(Y/Z) = Z/Y
This week we will use the same “lopsided” triangle and solve for Z (and before someone points it out) the triangle is NOT to scale!
There are just days or in some cases weeks where there is little that I want write about because I just want to scream about everything. Here are the foot notes of what’s going on in my head:
AP: Judge: Sudan owes USS Cole families $8M – WHAT?!?! These 17 families are only worth $8 million...The Sudan should pay far more for supporting terrorism.
AP: Doc won't face charges in Katrina deaths – Hope that the law suits against her also fail…she did nothing wrong!
AP: N.M. works on rodent recovery plan – Only in America would we put the lives of rodents above progress.
AP: Study: Rising temperatures pose danger – See!! Global warming can be blamed on the Indians!!!
Reuters: Forecaster cuts 2007 hurricane outlook - HA!!!! Now there is a real surprise!!! How many years does that make now? If we can’t predict the weather of a small portion of the world, how do you think we can predict the climate of the entire plant?
Reuters: Your plant just called to say ... I'm thirsty! - Just think you used to have to put your finger in the soil to tell if the plant needed watering?!?! I love technology but is this a little too far?
Press Release: Moore Statement on Today’s Minimum Wage Increase - Is she really that dumb to think that there are that many people working minimum wage jobs? Does she understand the financial repercussions this is going to have in the job market here in Wisconsin?!?!
Press Release: Lt. Governor Lawton to Take Lead on Climate Change, Energy Independence - {spit take} 60-80% reduction of CO2 emissions below 1990 levels…I have a quick solution…don’t send her to this stupid meeting…fewer politicians speaking means lower CO2 levels!! And where the hell is the energy independence?? I guess if we are living in huts, using candles, and driving horse drawn carriages again we would be independent again…Note to self buy all stock in buggy whips…they might be coming back!!!!
Kay’s Blue Racine: Politics 101 – “You can't trust people just because they say they're democrats” - Personally I think she should have wrote “you can’t trust people IF they say they’re democrats.”
To all you political geeks out there…I have to admit that I am one…I saw an interesting article last night on Fox 6 news discussing Fantasy Congress.
I’m sure some of you are already participating in it but for those that are not I’d like to introduce you to the game.
- Go to www.fantasycongress.com
- Sign up
- Join a league (mine if you’d like!)
- Draft your team of Congressmen
- Play the game!!
It’s just that easy!!!
I have set up a private league and any of you wishing to join are welcome.
The League name is: The Right Opinion
Password is: myopinion
I attended a meeting yesterday in Kenosha staring Senators Erpenbach, Wirch, and Lehman for the purposes of having them tell us why this plan is so good. To be honest they didn’t tell the audience anything new.
Their plan is a payroll tax plan that will take 4% of an employee’s paycheck and send it to the State of Wisconsin. The employer is MADATED to pay 10.5% of an employee’s paycheck to the State of Wisconsin. You have no choice but to participate, this is MANDITORY for all “gainfully employed” Wisconsinites.
They repeatedly stated that is was “not an optional plan” that one could opt out of. In Wisconsin you will only have one choice for health care and that is the State of Wisconsin’s Healthy Wisconsin plan. Sure you can buy additional insurance over and above the plan but the State plan is first.
They believe that this plan provides “personal responsibility.” I don’t see how mandating anything shows personal responsibility. They said that this program (which they later say is “not a government program”) makes sure that people “pay their fair share” when it comes to health care. Um, 93% of Wisconsinites already have health care; this isn’t needed for us because we are already paying our share. They said it’s the “right thing to do.” While I believe that we need to look closer at health care, I do not think that having the government mandate a program to all is the right action to take!
I asked a simple question: “Tell me if I’ve got this right, the State of Wisconsin is going to MANDATE that all gainfully employed Wisconsinites must pay into this system and use it but that this is “not a government program”?”
“Yes, that’s correct,” was the response.
I’m very sorry but anyone that believes that the government “mandating” anything provides “personal responsibility” and is “not a government program” has been in the sun too long.
I go by the old adage if it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it’s a duck.
In this case, if it looks like a government program and acts like a government program, then it is going to cost far more than anyone has estimated and will be as helpful as a trip to the DMV.
This week we are keeping things difficult…9 out of 10…Next week will be too easy.
JT: GOP Assembly budget is disastrous for Racine by State Sen. John Lehman D-Racine
Senator, how would you describe your budget? You know, the one in which you burden the poorest in our state with monstrous taxes including the cigarette and gasoline tax and deny poor children in our community a chance at a better education. You sir, are “heartless.”
You and your Democrat friends worked tirelessly to bring socialized medicine and the enormous cost of the plan to a state that is not in need of it and at the same time exempting your friends at WEAC. That sir is “irresponsible.”
You demonize the Republicans for not supporting KRM, which you claim has broad support, but you do not support a referendum that would determine if such broad support actually exists among the citizens of Racine. That is a “blatant attack” on the taxpayers of Racine.
Senator, I suggest that before you start calling names like a child that you take a look inside and truly decide if this is really the way you wish to legislate. If it is, I suggest you get ready to lose your Senate seat.
x^2 + x – 2 = 0
(x + 2)(x – 1) = 0
x + 2 = 0 and x – 1 = 0
x = -2 and x = 1
Or using the quadratic formula (that I’m sure you all remember)
if ax 2 + bx + c = 0 then
x = ( -b±√(b^2 - 4ac))/ 2a
x = (-1 ±√(1^2 – 4*1*-2))/2*1
x = (-1 ±√(1 – (-8)))/2
x = (-1 ±√9)/2
x = (-1 ± 3)/2
x = 2/2 = 1 and x = -4/2 = -2
So here is your next challenge:
sin θ = ?
cos θ = ?
tan θ = ?
csc θ = ?
sec θ = ?
cot θ = ?
Please welcome Former State Senator Cathy Stepp to the blog-o-sphere!
Cathy will be posting occasionally on RealDebateWisconsin, so be sure to check her out!!
Here is her first post: My Maiden Voyage
Good Luck Cathy!!
I’m sure most of us are not surprised to hear that Jim Gilmore is out of the race for the presidency, but for some I think they are surprised to hear that he was even in the race.
AP: Gilmore 1st major candidate to drop out
Gilmore was a long shot to be sure but at least he is a conservative…I’m wondering how long it will be before Giuliani and McCain drop out?
H/T to Denis Navratil of Free Racine for the following blog:
On Gender Disparities in the Justice System
Well it seems that some don't like my suggestion that racial disparites in the jail population may be caused by increased criminal activity among black people. So I will apply their thinking to the problem of gender disparities in the criminal justice system.
Of course it is common knowledge that our jails are mostly filled with males. Why are there so many men in jail relative to women? It must be sexism right? Or institutional gender bias? Or is it those all female juries? Or is it gender profiling? Why do our mostly male police officers prefer to arrest other men? Could it be that they are acting out their homoerotic fantasies by wrestling other men to the ground and handcuffing them?
As a man, I think we should take a serious look at this problem. Perhaps Governor Doyle can commission a study on the subject. After all, the gender disparity in the criminal justice system is far greater than the racial disparity.
Well said Denis! Maybe people will take your comments about racial disparities to heart now that you have put the argument into context.
This week is a bit harder….6 out of 10.
Congrats to caledonia unplugged who got last weeks Math problem correct!!
0.59375 as a fraction is 19/32.
This week’s is all about algebra.
Solve for x…and show your work! ;^)
x^2 + x – 2 = 0
(hint: the carrot (^) between the x and the 2 means “raised to” or in other words “x^2” means “x squared.”)
… you all feel it right? That looming behemoth of taxes just waiting to be dropped right on out heads is still out there.
I’ve read over the Assembly’s budget and if I knew that the final budget was going to be anywhere close to this I would be happy but the reality is we are in for a HUGE tax increase and unfortunately there is very little the Republicans can do about it.
Republicans are already being painted as though they took a machete to the budget…just look at these headlines:
Racine JT: Bad news for Racine: Local legislator decries GOP Assembly budget proposal
Wisconsin State Journal: Budget would cut from UW System
Or how about these quotes:
Rep. Colon: “Instead they have protected the interests of big oil companies and big tobacco companies.”
Sen. Robson: “Assembly Republicans are on the verge of passing the most fiscally irresponsible, morally reprehensible budget to come out of Madison in some time.”
Rep. Kreuser: “Worst of all, despite deep cuts to nearly every important state priority, the GOP budget fails to offer any meaningful tax relief to middle class families beyond what was proposed by Governor Doyle.”
Here is the best part…the budget proposed by the Republicans is basically a net zero budget. What this means is that while they are adding certain items, such as expanded school choice, they are cutting in other areas to compensate for it. This is how people handle their own budgets at home why should our legislators be any different? The Democrats are screaming now but in the end (once the compromise committee meets) they will get a portion of their tax increase that they are looking for.
I hope that the Republicans stick to their guns and hold to this budget…not only today but through the committee review that is still to come.
Good luck guys and gals!
As I have stated time and again, science is about research and knowledge, not consensus.
From Reuters: Scientists Find Clues to Ice Cap Longevity: Study
It appears that scientists who are looking at the ice caps around Greenland have noted that their previous theory related to free ice flow in the region was off by about 330,000 years! This finding shows just how resilient the ice caps really are.
What has now been determined is that the models that show rising ocean levels may not be as bad due to a faulty assumption of the Greenland ice sheet.
To all my conservative friends: This does not negate the possibility that rising global temperatures could melt this ice cap only that prior history shows that this cap is very stable and able to take temperature variations much better than previously thought.
To all my liberal friends: Consensus is not science. Science is made up of people testing theories and hypothesis. Looking at an isolated bit of data and extrapolating it out is not scientifically sound. The use of computer models are only as good as the data that is placed into it and therefore can not be relied upon if all relevant data is not considered.
In the end this is just another setback for the “man-made-global-warming” crowd.
This week I give it a 2 out of 10.
On this day we must remember those who have gone 
before, those that fight for freedom now and those who will be called to service in the future. Our Nation is strong but only because a few of its citizens are willing to risk their lives to ensure the tranquility and freedoms that we all take for granted.
I’d like to say thank you to all who have served. We can never repay you for what you have done.
On this day our founding fathers signed a simple piece of paper which has been the backbone of this county for over 200 years.
May god continue to watch over this great country and bless us with continued prosperity well into the future.
Here is the Declaration of Independence:
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. —Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
The signers of the Declaration represented the new states as follows:
New Hampshire
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
You know just when you think that you have a good line on the environmentalist wackos they surprise you with something new.
In today’s Sydney Morning Herald you can find this article: Human greed takes lion's share of solar energy
I’m hoping that this is some sort of joke but when you see claims like “reducing the amount of energy available to them (other species) by almost 10 per cent, scientists report” you do start to worry that these people are being serious.
So I guess we should stop farming…it’s the only environmental thing to do.
The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) released its 2006 Congressional ratings on Thursday June 28th and here are how our legislators stacked up:
The Senate rankings were based on 21 pieces of legislation.
Feingold rated a 43% (Lukewarm to taxpayers); while Kohl received 19% (Hostile toward taxpayers.)
The House rankings were based on 44 pieces of legislation:
Baldwin 0% (Obviously lowest score in the house – Hostile toward taxpayers);
Green 86% (Taxpayer Hero – Why isn’t he Governor?!?!);
Kind 9% (Hostile toward taxpayers);
Moore 5% (Hostile toward taxpayers);
Obey 5% (Hostile toward taxpayers);
Petri 86% (Taxpayer Hero);
Ryan 98% (Taxpayer Hero);
Sensenbrenner 95% (Taxpayer Hero)
This gives our overall delegation an average score of 44.6% which is classified as lukewarm to taxpayers.
CCAGW also took a look at what the average Democrat/Republican in the House and Senate looked like and here is how we stacked up:
Average Senate Democrat was 15% our average was 31%...I guess we own a small thank you to Feingold for not being as bad as the rest of the Senate Democrats.
Average House Democrats rated only 9%...but our House Democrats averaged 4.75%!!! How pathetic is that!?!?
Average House Republicans rated a 46% (terrible!) but our House Republicans averaged 91.25%!!! Thank you Green, Ryan, Petri, and Sensenbrenner for your efforts to keep waste out of our government and for being a true friend to taxpayers.
For more information on CCAGW please visit them at www.cagw.org.
Last week I asked you to show me the factors of 20 and for extra credit show the prime factors of 20…jdopierala got it right. Factors of 20 are 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, & 20. Prime factors are prime numbers that when multiplied together you get the resulting number 2*2*5 = 20
This week I’m still taking it easy on you.
Please convert the following to a fraction: 0.59375
I’ve been haunted by what an elected State Republican told me and others months ago regarding the State Budget bill. We were told that we have to “be ready to negotiate a tax increase” and that the State Republicans will try to get it to zero but that with such a large gap between what the Democrats are proposing and what the Republicans are hoping for there was not much hope.
So here is the dilemma; many of us have been calling our legislators and asking them to sign the “zero tax increase” pledge but to what end? We want 0% increase and the other side wants a 15% increase…where is the middle ground? 5-10% increase!?!?
Think about this another way, you are find a person selling something you want and they are asking $125 for it but you do not can’t to spend any more than $100 for it, what do you offer the guy? If you offer $100 and the guy says $110…the show is over. But if you offer $75 or $80 you might be able to talk him down to $100. That is how you negotiate effectively.
The Republicans in the State Legislature are in a similar predicament. In order for them to get us the 0% tax increase they need to start with a tax and spending cut equal to the tax and spending increase the Democrats are proposing. Maybe then we will see a true tax freeze that this state desperately needs.
Last week I was starting to get worried that no one would get it but it looks like someone finally did. The country was Hungary !!
This week is a little more difficult; 7 out of 10.
Today I open the paper and see the following “Lehman Says New State Budget Favors Middle Class” and I laughed.
No, really, I laughed out loud at this. The Democrats in the State Senate just gave us the largest tax increase in Wisconsin history and Lehman actually thinks this is good for the middle class?
Lehman proposed to include the KRM tax and merchandise product hike into this bloated budget. He is also a big fan of socialistic healthcare for Wisconsin…I knew he was a left winger but didn’t realize that he was a Socialist!
In total we will see a minimum of a 15% tax hike in Wisconsin…but all is not lost, maybe we can bring that down to 5-10% since the Republican controlled Assembly still has to vote on their budget and then the negotiations begin.
While I am not surprised I was hoping that there would be no further developments on the whole KRM thing while I was gone but it looks like that wasn’t meant to be.
The State Senate moved forward on KRM yesterday by including the $13 fee on rental cars in the Governors budget.
Here is the JT link (06/25/2007: State Senate restores funding for KRM commuter rail in budget) and a few quotes from the blog…I think many of these people are nuts:
“This Milwaukee-Chicago corridor has got to be one of the most densely populated areas in the nation, so it's time to really make an effort to provide some better mass transit.”
What was this person smoking…have they ever driven through the “dense” areas of Racine and Kenosha…do we have any?
“I think its a great idea to have a train from Chicago to Milwaukee that would create more jobs and hopefully build up Racine's economy!!!!”
Once again it’s important that we tell people this is not going to Chicago it’s going to Kenosha!
“If riders are supposed to pay for the train then should drivers pay for the freeway and other roads?”
Once again the Brain trust has lost a good one…over 90% of people in the KRM corridor drive…only 0.5% will ever use KRM!!!
“We are now a community of commuters and service providers.”
So which is it? Is the train going to bring business as promised or will we become a bedroom community?
The same person said the following:
“A stronger link to the Milwaukee metropolis is needed. A train will provide the link.” and
“The problem with Racine is that we have a fairly large number of unemployable people who have no interest in education, jobs, arts & crafts, tourism, or anything else productive.That is the problem with Racine. The schools suck, crime is not controlled, and taxes are high, all because of this unproductive population.We can't get rid of this population, their roots are in deep. We can't improve them or change them in any way.So there, root cause done. Quit blaming the results.”
So explain to me how this little train is going to help this?
There is more but you are going to have to read it yourself.
You are getting to see this a little early this week since I am traveling to the beautiful island of Aruba with my wife to celebrate 6 married years together!! Can't promise that I'll blog from there but I'll try.
Last week...Ya got that right mahn…the country was Jamaica, mahn.
This week might be hard for some…but not for the people who read this blog!!
6 out of 10.
Still trying to keep things easy…this week!
Show the factors for 20.
Extra credit: Show the prime factors of 20.
Today the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation came out with the following press release:
Study: EnergyPrices, Not Corn, is Rising Food Prices
USAgNet - 06/15/2007
Ethanol critics and many in the media charge that the rising price of corn due to growing ethanol demand is the major culprit for moderately rising consumer food prices. Conspicuously absent from the discussion is the chief reason for increasing food costs: escalating energy costs.
According to a new analysis of food, energy and corn prices conducted by John Urbanchuk of LECG, LLC, "rising energy prices had a more significant impact on food prices than did corn." Rising energy prices have twice the impact on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food than does the price of corn, according to the report.
"Energy costs have a much greater impact on consumer food costs as they impact every single food product on the shelf," said Urbanchuk. "Energy is required to produce, process, package and ship each food item. Conversely, corn prices impact just a small segment of the food market as not all products rely on corn for production."
According to the study, "Increasing petroleum prices have about twice the impact on consumer food prices as equivalent increases in corn prices.'A 33 percent increase in crude oil prices - the equivalent of $1.00 per gallon over current levels of retail gasoline prices - would increase retail food prices measured by the CPI for food by 0.6 to 0.9 percent.
But wouldn’t Ethanol be considered an energy cost? And if so wouldn’t the increase in these cost drive up the production cost of corn for food?
I understand what they are saying but I think that they need to reconsider the wording they use.
Today corn production is no longer just for food but for energy as well and that places the cost of corn into multiple sectors of the economy while only being counted in one.
So my question to all of you is at what point should we consider corn prices similar to other energy costs and not an agricultural food product?
Swaziland is one of the two land locked countries inside of South Africa and to answer still unreal’s question…I can not think of another country that has 2 (or more) land locked countries inside it’s borders.
This week’s should be a bit easier but still not simple. 6 out of 10.
So I pick up the paper this morning and see the following: “Unified looks to find savings by cutting textbook budget”
Now ask yourself the question, if the school district is in the business of educating children why would they look to cut the textbook budget and not cut the administration budget?
Today a Reuter’s story titled Kilimanjaro's shrinking snow not sign of warming has scientists saying “see we told you so!”
Unlike Algore, scientists prefer to deal in facts. Algore used stunning (yes, I saw the film and I will admit that the cinematography was fantastic!) cinematography to perpetrate a lie! He stated that the snow of Kilimanjaro was eroding due to global warming when in fact there was scientific proof that it was not.
Slowly the media will catch up to the fact that while the earth may be warming to say that the cause is human-made is to be quite arrogant!
Do Democrats really get how good the economy really is? Yesterday George Will had a great op-ed piece titled Democrat’s Prosperity Problem.
I want to showcase a few of the fascinating points George will lays out for his readers:
Since the 2002 “Bush tax cuts”
- There have been 65 uninterrupted months of growth so far
- Quarterly growth has averaged 3%
- More than 8 million jobs created
- Deficit as a percentage of GDP is below the average since WWII
When the “Bush tax cuts” expire:
- The lowest of wage earners will see the largest percent increase in their taxes – 50%
- Child tax credit will go from $1,000 to $500
- Marriage tax penalty will be restored
He also talks about AMT (created by the Democrats) and how in 1993 Democrats “fixed” it…now it affects nearly 23 million households.
George hit the mark with this piece.
Do they really think that rolling back the tax cuts will have a positive effect on the economy?
It leaves me wondering what will happen if a Democrat wins the White House?
Can they actually win the White House running on an “increase taxes” platform?
“I look forward to signing a budget that reflects Wisconsin’s values, protects Wisconsin’s priorities, and invests in Wisconsin’s people.”
Does he really?
Wisconsin is still one of the highest taxes states in the country and yet he thinks that his tax increases are the will of Wisconsinites?
He proudly proclaims that “This is not a budget for the big oil or the big tobacco companies – it is a budget for the middle class” and he is right because most of $1.7 billion tax increase burden will fall squarely on the shoulders of the middle class.
Democrats on the JFC are following Doyle down a very dark and dangerous road. If Republicans want to take over Madison in the next election they need to hold their ground and vote for a “zero tax increase” budget. If they fail to do so they will be turning their backs on their base and Doyle wins.
This is why there are millionaires out there.
How would you like to get rid of all of those wires in your house? TV, VCR, and even your laptop would never have to be plugged in!
Well Dr Marin Soljacic and his team from MIT are simply brilliant!
They created a way for a room to be completely wireless.
The end of the plug?
I would be a willing to offer up my house if they would like to test this on any large scale!
Seeing how much math is used in everything we do, including politics, I think that it is very important for all of us to have a strong grasp of these skills.
So in that frame of mind I am going to start a new weekly segment on my blog labeled simply Math.
This will become a regular weekend feature but for today I thought I’d start you off with an easy example.
Solve:
Reuters: Dutch students invent alcohol powder
All you have to do is mix it with water and you have a 3% by volume alcoholic beverage!!
Wow that is creative! Not sure how useful it is but definitely creative.
This is what a typical nonylphenol molecule looks like:
The catch is this molecule and similar derivatives are used in detergents and can ultimately end up in our water supply.
This doesn’t sound that bad until you also realize that one of the derivatives of molecule is Nonoxynol-9...
...used as a spermicide in contraceptives!! This is one of the forms of xenoestrogen which is currently changing the sex of some fish from male to female!!
What could it do to us?
The liberals keep stating that we need to get out of Iraq because we are neglecting our role in Afghanistan, but are we?
Today the AP reported that the US has stepped up our air attacks on Iraq (see U.S. Doubles Air Attacks in Iraq) by more than twice what we had done last year.
This seems to go right along with what the liberals are saying until you read the very last sentence:
“Air attacks in Iraq are still relatively low compared with the numbers of weapons dropped in Afghanistan - 929 this year as of May 15.”
For the record we have dropped 237 in Iraq so far in 2007.
So why is it that the media is not talking about the Afghanistan Operations? Could it be that there truly is a bias?
Well the verdict is in on Scooter Libby and it looks like he will serve time in prison for not remembering dates of when he talked to specific individuals about specific topics.
Liberals will be enraged with my following statement but too bad.
Amazing that a Republican charged with perjury and obstruction of justice resigns from his position in the White House and gets 2 ½ years in prison while Democrat Bill Clinton is charged with perjury and obstruction of justice as well as lying to Congress while under oath and gets to keep his job, gets disbarred, impeached, and serves no prison time or removal from office.
That is outrageous!
I’m tired of the KRM crowd using the…“well if you want a referendum on rail then I want a referendum on roads.”
The simple fact is most people drive on the roads. Based on census data over 90% of Racine County commutes via driving. Therefore we need roads…we don’t need rail. If we inflate the numbers that Transit NOW is promoting as riding numbers then we would find that about 0.5% of Racine County would commute using rail and they would still have to use the roads when they got to their destination!
So if rail is only going to cater to 0.5% of the population but be paid for by all, should we not then buy bikes for those that wish to ride to work? Or new shoes to those who walk to work?
I’d also like to point out that comments about businesses shouldering the majority of the cost due to they rent most of the rental cars doesn’t hold water…when was the last time a company didn’t pass on their costs to their consumers? That is how they manage to stay in business!!
At the end of the day all the KRM enthusiast wants is the new choo-choo.
William Jefferson (D-LA.) may finally see his day in court!
AP: Feds say La. congressman to be indicted
*** UPDATE!!! ***
AP: Jury indicts Jefferson in bribery probe
WASHINGTON - Rep. William Jefferson (news, bio, voting, record), D-La., was indicted Monday on federal charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes and money-laundering in a long-running bribery investigation into business deals he tried to broker in Africa.
The indictment handed up in federal court in Alexandria., Va., Monday is more than an inch thick and list 16 alleged violations of federal law that could keep Jefferson in prison for up to 200 years.
But will the Democrats finally call him out!?!? Probably not.
"To assume that it is a problem is to assume that the state of Earth's climate today is the optimal climate, the best climate that we could have or ever have had and that we need to take steps to make sure that it doesn't change. I guess I would ask which human beings — where and when — are to be accorded the privilege of deciding that this particular climate that we have right here today, right now is the best climate for all other human beings. I think that's a rather arrogant position for people to take."
NASA administrator Michael Griffin
This week I’ll take a step back and offer up a country with a rating of 2 out of 10.
Racine County is doing a survey on Smart Growth...while the main survey numbers will be computed based on mailed surveys to random individuals on the voter roles there is an on-line survey. The numbers for the online survey will be reported with the results...but only as a foot note.
Please take the time to fill out the survey:
SMART GROWTH PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY
AP: Many Katrina evacuees are still jobless
You can read the story for yourself but I think the numbers speak for them selves:
“About 12,000 families are still getting federal aid for housing, the city said. Of that group, about 5,500 heads of households are unemployed, not counting those who are elderly and disabled, city officials said.”
“Houston's economy is hot because of the booming oil and gas industry. City officials say there are 2 million job openings, 59,000 of which require only a high school education.”
I would have to agree with Rep John Culberson (R-TX):
"We're a charitable nation and Houston in particular has a big heart, and we have already gone way above and beyond the call of duty to help our neighbors," Culberson said. "It's time for everyone who can work to get to work."
He further stated that “evacuees should have benefits cut off if they don't get a job.”
Politicians like Obama and Hilary are bantering about the “45 million uninsured” in America and they are misleading the American people down a road that will mean more government intervention.
Do you have a health plan or health insurance?
Do you know the difference?
Do you pay for your annual checkups or do you just pay the co-pay and “insurance” takes care of the rest?
Do you have auto insurance?
Does it pay for your oil change, fix your flat tire, or fill up your empty gas tank?
Health insurance is no longer what most Americans have we have health plans and that is why rates are going through the roof.
If you had the ability to purchase an auto plan which had an annual co-pay but paid for all of your maintenance and upkeep like oil changes, washer fluid, new tires, etc and included major issues such as accidents what would that be worth to you?
In an auto plan people would start to have their oil changed regularly. People would be sure to have their brakes and tires checked. All of this maintenance would begin to add up. The “insurer” would have to start charging more for two reasons: 1. just to cover the costs of all the maintenance and to have enough in case of a catastrophic accident. 2. so that the business could continue to make a profit.
Do we really want the government to take over our heath plans? Do you really think that they know how to run a business better than business owners? Will health care be simpler or will you have more red tape to deal with? For those black helicopter types out there…do you really want the government to have complete access to your medical records?
This holiday weekend people are hitting the road and news stories abound with segments discussing how much it will cost to travel due to the high price of gas.
But I noticed an interesting item through everyone of the segments…almost all of the people they feature are driving big “gas guzzling” vehicles.
So here is my question: are you traveling this weekend and if so what vehicle are you taking?
This week it’s not that easy: 10 out of 10.
As was reported on Caledonia Unplugged today the Caledonia Village Board voted last night to appoint a member of the Caledonia Conservancy and an individual that was indorsed by the same special interest group as the majority!!
Ron Coutts – member of Caledonia Conservancy; endorsed by Save don’t Pavemore...
Howard Stacey – member of Caledonia Conservancy; endorsed by Save don’t Pave
Wendy McCalvy – founder of Caledonia Conservancy; endorsed by Save don’t Pave
Bob Bradley – endorsed by Save don’t Pave
Kevin Wanggaard – no special interest affiliation known
Lee Wishau – endorsed by Save don’t Pave
Gayle Morgan – Treasurer of Caledonia Conservancy; endorsed by Save don’t Pave
Mr. Morgan was elected by a vote of 4-2 (Coutts, Stacey, McCalvy, Bradley voting in favor.)
I wonder how much business Caledonia will see in the near future.
Doyle and 16 other Democrat Governors are calling for the President to pressure “big oil” to reinvest their “enormous profits” into lowering gas prices. (link)
Well here is some quick math for you:
$3.59 – Current price of Gallon of gas
$0.33 - Wisconsin MANDITORY Markup 9.18%
$0.32 - Wisconsin gas tax $0.32 (or 8.9%)
$0.14 - Federal gas tax $0.14 (or 3.9%)
$2.80 - Wholesale price of gas (Current price minus taxes and markup)
$0.26 – Exxon’s HUGE profit per gallon of gas (9.7%)
Doyle is proposing to raise the tax on gas an additional $0.07 per gallon (to $0.39) meaning that Wisconsin will make more money per gallon than ANYONE ELSE!!!!
Every time you fill your tank, repeat this until your tank is full:
Wisconsin is making more money per gallon than the oil company!
Wisconsin is making more money per gallon than the oil company!
Wisconsin is making more money per gallon than the oil company!
Wisconsin is making more money per gallon than the oil company!
