George Rebane

*** How would you spend $10B to solve nation’s problems?
*** “Obama’s Tax Plan Would Greatly Increase Budget Deficit”
*** Maryland’s elected imbeciles were surprised again.
*** Nevada County takes steps to reduce unfunded liabilities

*** Recently the WSJ has been asking major national figures on how they would spend $10B to solve some of the problems facing our country.  Today the newspaper published side-by-side the replies (figure by David Klein) from Newt Gingrich and Jerry Brown.  Their answers starkly differentiate the world views of a free-market capitalist and a socialist.  Gingrich wants the $10B divided into a handful of very large tax-free prizes for private enterprise to develop working solutions in areas of energy independence, environment, health, and so on.  Brown’s allocation of those funds would be primarily to have the feds and states study what kind of new laws and regulations they could impose on the nation’s people and businesses to make them do what the social engineers deem best.  And, of course, a very big hunk of the $10B would go into funding new agencies, regulatory staffs, and enforcement staffs to make sure that these new laws and regulations would indeed be followed.  As you might expect, most of the effort would focus on spreading California’s inspired climate change and environmental legislation across the land.  Nuff said.

*** Obama’s Tax Plan Would Greatly Increase Budget Deficit – this release today from the CATO Institute

“On the campaign trail, Sen. Barack Obama bashes President Bush for ‘reckless’ economic policies that are ‘mortgaging our children’s future on a mountain of debt,’” reports The Washington Post. “But the Democratic presidential candidate has adopted a key component of Bush’s fiscal policy: A novel bookkeeping method that guarantees that the $9.5 trillion national debt will get much bigger.”

Chris Edwards, director of Cato’s tax policy studies, comments: “The more important issue is whether the McCain and Obama plans are sound tax policy. McCain’s tax proposals, in general, would promote economic growth and provide broad-based benefits. By contrast, Obama’s tax proposals embrace economic micromanagment and would add further discrimination to the tax code, meaning that his proposed narrow breaks would treat Americans differently based on social engineering criteria established by the government. Further, Obama’s proposals would increase marginal tax rates on individuals and businesses, the single most damaging change that could be made to a tax system. On tax policy, the differences between the candidates are stark.”

*** Maryland’s elected imbeciles were surprised again.  These lefties figured out, all by themselves, that to balance the state’s budget all they had to do was to increase taxes again on cigarettes making a carton cost $15 more in Maryland than in Virginia.  They were shocked, yes shocked to discover that the Maryland smokers would have the gall to drive a few miles to Virginia and stock up.  Recovering what for them passes for wits, they rushed through a new patch to the state’s legal fabric which will criminalize all of Maryland’s intrepid smokers – it is now illegal for anyone to be in possession of more than two packs of cigarettes bought from out of state.  Now we can all have a good laugh or cry on how this is going to be enforced – ‘Ma’am, we’re from the sheriff’s office and understand from your neighbors that you smoke.  We have a warrant to inspect your cigarette supply.  Would you spread them out on the kitchen table and please stand against the wall.’

*** Nevada County’s new union hires will pay for their own retirement plan.  On the brighter side, our county is putting teeth into its efforts to reduce unfunded liabilities.  Unionized workers who were/are hired after 1jul08 will fund their own retirements.  Enlightened jurisdictions across the land are opting for this alternative.