posted on March 11, 2009 06:28:14 PM new
Gov Corzine has started passing out the lube. He presented a budget today that shocked most of the Obama voters. Newspaper headline "Corzine to middle class: Drop Dead". Cutting/eliminating property tax rebates, layoffs, tax increases, etc.
Just wait. Soon it will be $200 building permits, $500 traffic tickets, $100 dog licenses. I wish I could get one of those free mortgages.
Interesting stat: (I know how most here hate math, so bear with me). The number of "the rich people" has been cut in half by the stock loses. If you took EVERY dollar "the rich people" earn, you still aren't going to be close to covering the losses.
Meanwhile, Congress finally passed Obama's bloatget, even tacking on an extra 8% he didn't ask for. Mass is using a few tens of millions for Kennedy statues, etc. I kid you not.
Coming soon to a state near you. Buy your own lube, it's cheaper.
posted on March 11, 2009 09:14:15 PM new
Squirrel, Finally we agree on something! States are in dire straits. We feel it sooner locally. On top of more people losing jobs, fewer companies that pay taxes, Oregon is also hit by a whammy of a new no smoking in bars law which has resulted in a far higher than predicted loss in video poker revenues. Schools are among the first to be hit. Fewer school days per year, 1/2 hour per week of gym, band virtually eliminated. We can't blame this on Obama - it was the Bush economy that created this mess.
[ edited by pixiamom on Mar 11, 2009 09:21 PM ]
posted on March 12, 2009 05:18:21 AM new
To clarify Squirrel's post, Governor Corzine's budget includes:
$4 billion in baseline spending cuts, with more than 850 line items taking a direct hit;
$25 million in funding for pre-school expansion and an increase in direct school aid by $300 million for K-12 education;
funding for food banks, charity care, and worker retraining.
At the same time, the budget expands the senior property tax freeze and preserves property tax rebates for two-thirds of New Jersey homeowners who qualified last year. This represents over $1 billion in direct property tax relief for 1 million New Jerseyans in the coming year.
The Governor noted that this year's $29.8 billion budget is about $3 billion less than the budget enacted in June, representing the largest one-year spending cut in State history.
"We must maintain our priorities at the same time that we work to minimize the tax burden on our citizens," Governor Corzine said. "These priorities and values are the same ones that have guided my Administration since taking office."
In terms of baseline spending, the budget deals with a $7 billion gap by reducing spending more than $4 billion, using $2 billion in federal recovery act funds and just under $1 billion in revenue solutions that include a one-year only tax increase on the wealthiest one percent of New Jerseyans, those who make more than $500,000 a year.
"We are making the tough choices to do the right thing," Governor Corzine said.
Other key elements of the FY 2010 budget include:
Increased Family Care funding by $193 million and an additional $113 million for Mental Health and Developmental Disability Support;
Cuts in the operational costs of state government of more than $380 million;
Increased funding for schools and supports and expands early childhood education programs;
Near level funding preserved for municipalities, hospitals and higher education;
About half of all budget spending for property tax relief.
While the global economic recession has presented substantial challenges for the current budget year, Governor Corzine said, it is an exercise necessary to build a better future.
In October, Governor Corzine announced New Jersey's Economic Assistance and Recovery Plan during a joint session of the New Jersey Legislature. Working with the Legislature, the Governor's Plan advanced numerous efforts to stimulate New Jersey's economy, create jobs, combat hunger, provide home energy assistance, and take proactive initiatives to prevent home foreclosures - all in response to the slumping national economy. The Economic Assistance and Recovery Plan also provided legislation and initiatives for a dramatically improved business climate in New Jersey to provide incentive for businesses to remain in state while enticing others to relocate here.
"We will pull together as a community and a nation and build for a more prosperous tomorrow," Governor Corzine said. "While the current crisis presents new challenges, it is not unlike others we have dealt with in the past as a state and as a nation. And we can get through these perilous times working together."
In the past three years, Governor Corzine has gotten rid of gimmicks in the State budget, reduced the overall size of government by almost 7,000 employees and eliminated departments to make government more efficient. The Governor also negotiated with public employee unions and mandated that they contribute to the cost of their health care for the first time, while extending the retirement age to age 62 and capping the pensions of new state workers. These measures allow the state to save $6.6 billion through 2022.
"This budget continues a four year pattern of making tough choices that may not be politically popular today but which put our state on a stronger footing for tomorrow," Governor Corzine said.
posted on March 12, 2009 10:12:29 AM new
Thank you, Helen. As usual, we only hear part of the story.
States are in bad shape. There's no denying that. But, it seems, most are trying to pin it on Obama who hasn't been in office more than a couple of months. Let's remember who got us all into this mess to begin with.
A bit OT, but relating to the problems states are having:
My brother took a high paying job in South Carolina. He took it because he was being laid off here in NE Ohio. He got to SC and was promptly laid off. He got another job where they were making Humvees for Iraq and was laid off after a year. The first SC company hired him back at a huge cut in pay. This company does government contracting (started under Bush). It's base? IN SOUTH AFRICA! (American companies be darned.) They know that the economy is bad and that people are doing what they need to to hold onto their jobs. My brother is working 80+ hour weeks (he just worked a 90 hour week). He has no choice. He was told do it or be fired. He's salaried so the company doesn't give him overtime. Hourly employees under him are working sometimes 36 hours straight!! They, too, will lose their jobs should they complain. Now, we all know this is illegal on a federal level (don't know about his state). This just illustrates how bad off some states are. Bob would have loved to stay in Ohio where his kids and grandchildren are had there been employment for him. He works in manufacturing and there are not too many of those jobs left anymore.
Thankfully, I know our state senator quite well who is looking into the federal laws that this company is violating. The government should yank their contract and give it to a deserving AMERICAN company.
posted on March 12, 2009 11:22:05 AM new
"it was the Bush economy that created this mess."
How laughable can you possibly get????
As posted YEARS ago this was coming. The only attempts made to hinder this real estate sourced collapse were McCain in Congress (killed in committee) and Bush 2 years ago.
Obama has shown little desire to get control of this situation. His Treasury sec with Tax problems spends time scolding American companies for damaging the environment while 32 million Americans are getting food stamps. Within 2 months he has managed to slight and anger the British and Israeli govs and send a $900 million check to the Palestinians (Hamas) for those awful missile attacks. He sends Clinton to China to kiss butt for shoring up our debt while they expand militarily and harass our ships at sea. Civil rights?, what Civil rights?? Then she travels to Russia to offer to remove Eastern Europe missiles for a little Russian coop. AFTER Obama says he will scrap them.
See, you can accomplish a lot in 2 months.
We need more stories of how you all cried when you saw Obama's last speech. They profiled his speechwriter in yesterday's paper. I'm sure he'd be touched.
He can probably guarantee you a few good cries in the future.
posted on March 13, 2009 01:46:09 PM new
They sent the "Palestinians" (ie: Hamas) 900 million and had Hillary tour the place and bad mouth the Israelis.
posted on March 16, 2009 08:19:35 AM new
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States plans to offer more than $900 million to help rebuild Gaza after Israel's invasion and to strengthen the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, U.S. officials said on Monday.
The money, which needs U.S. congressional approval, will be distributed through U.N. and other bodies and not via the militant group Hamas, which rules Gaza, said one official.
"This money is for Gaza and to help strengthen the Palestinian Authority. It is not going to go to Hamas," said the official, who asked not to be named as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton planned to announce the funding at a donors' conference in Egypt next week.
posted on March 16, 2009 08:49:59 AM new
Good one, logansdad! Correcting erroneous and blatantly false information seems to be the name of the game here now.
posted on March 16, 2009 09:38:22 AM new
Squirrel, you wrote, "They sent the "Palestinians" (ie: Hamas) 900 million and had Hillary tour the place and bad mouth the Israelis."
Not true.
Hillary said the U.S. aid package -- which must be approved by Congress -- has been "designed in coordination with the Palestinian Authority" to make sure the money "does not end up in the wrong hands."
Clinton was referring to the Hamas leadership of Gaza, which the United States has designated a terrorist organization. The Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank, is led by President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party is a bitter rival of Hamas.
posted on March 16, 2009 11:46:35 AM new
Squirrel writes, "the "Palestinians" are the WORLD's largest per capita recipients of aid for DECADES"
Wrong again...
Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign assistance since World
War II. From 1976-2004, Israel was the largest annual recipient of U.S. foreign
assistance, having recently been supplanted by Iraq. Since 1985, the United States has
provided nearly $3 billion in grants annually to Israel.
posted on March 16, 2009 01:13:23 PM new
Helen, just how would you resolve the conflict? Are you in favor of the terror attacks against Israel? Should the world also be concerned about the killing in Israel? The silence is deafening.
posted on March 16, 2009 02:12:16 PM new
While I hate what's happening on both sides, I don't see resolution any time soon or any time at all. This fighting has been going on and on and on for what seems like forever. I don't see anyone else offering up a solution. Israel bombs, Hamas bombs. Israel bombs, Hamas bombs. It's a vicious cycle where thousands of innocents on both sides are being killed and maimed. It's a pointless war that neither is going to win. Innocent people on both sides are going to continue to die in the name of land and religion.
Look at this video and tell me that the people living in Gaza don't deserve help just because according to some, they live on the wrong side of the fence.
Here's one person's comment on one of the videos. It speaks volumes:
I am a Jew. The Jews of Warsaw Ghetto were confined, starved, murdered and witness to murders and all manner of atrocity. Why is Israel repeating the same horror that was inflicted upon European Jews to another indigenous people? What was ultimately liberated from the camps of Europe were mere remnants of humanity. How can we turn around and inflict the same misery upon another generation of children? G/d bless the hapless children of Palestine and may G/d liberate them from their suffering.
Cheryl
[ edited by cblev65252 on Mar 16, 2009 02:15 PM ]
posted on March 16, 2009 02:18:36 PM new
Kozersky, What do you mean by your statement, "the silence is deafening"?
In answer to your "question"...
This time, 5.2 billion has been donated. When asked to increase the school budget, the conservatives call it "throwing money at the problem". That description can justifiably be used in this situation in which, time after time, an international donor conference is convened to rebuild Palestinian structures demolished by Israel. And it should be mentioned that no amount of money can replace the 1300 people killed including 500 children.
So long as Israel, backed by the U.S., continues to occupy and oppress the Palestinian people there will be no answer. Money is just a band aid until the resurrected infrastructure crumbles again along with more innocent lives.
posted on March 17, 2009 05:13:15 AM new
Squirrel, you are obviously unable to point out any statement in this thread in which you believe that I "equate" Hamas with the Isralis.
You, on the other hand did imply that when you wrote, "They sent the "Palestinians" (ie: Hamas) 900 million and had Hillary tour the place and bad mouth the Israelis."
I then corrected your statement with the following information from CNN.
"Hillary said the U.S. aid package -- which must be approved by Congress -- has been "designed in coordination with the Palestinian Authority" to make sure the money "does not end up in the wrong hands."
"Clinton was referring to the Hamas leadership of Gaza, which the United States has designated a terrorist organization. The Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank, is led by President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party is a bitter rival of Hamas."
Squirrel, your effort to commuicate is severly hindered by your wish to affect a distainful attitude, leaving your message so ambiguous that most people choose not to respond.
posted on March 17, 2009 10:20:39 AM new
Deichen, I simply can't understand Squirrel's comments and frankly, I have no desire to take a stab at it again.
I don't believe that Squirrel intends to "hit and run". S/he tried several times to accuse me of making an incorrect connection in this thread but failed to substantiate that remark by providing a quote. The problem seems to be a failure to communicate clearly.
But I do understand the "hit and run" technique that you describe. It's usually used by posters who may feel that they don't have sufficient knowledge necessary to stay the course.
