Plastic bag tax

Don't give Doyle any ideas.

A bill that would require Maine retailers to charge 10 cents for each plastic bag distributed to customers would eliminate tons of trash now going into landfills, blowing around in streets and clogging storm drains, supporters of the proposal told a legislative panel Tuesday.

Opponents say state law already addresses shopping-bag waste concerns and it would be unwise to impose a new tax during a recession.

The bill before the Natural Resources Committee is one of many similar measures that have surfaced in state capitols and cities across the country.

San Francisco has banned plastic bags outright. A citizen's group in Seattle is challenging that city's 20-cent bag fee and has collected enough signatures to send the matter to voters later this year. Bag fees also have been considered in New York and Boston.

The sponsor of Maine's bill, Democratic Sen. John Nutting of Leeds, said he was amazed to see how many plastic bags went out the door during a recent trip to a supermarket.

I don't want to pollute the environment, but tell that to all the styrofoam coffee-cup users and people refusing to buy gas blended with ethanol!

I know we're all going green with cloth bags to collect groceries and clothes at department stores and so forth, but there are many uses for plastic bags and I think a 10 cent fee is a little much!

You know, like for recyclables, CDs in your car, kitty litter, etc...

Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?

Budget Woes

Hey libs, you thought wrong. Obama is actually going to raise taxes, like we all knew:

President Obama's budget proposes $989 billion in new taxes over the course of the next 10 years, starting fiscal year 2011, most of which are tax increases on individuals.

The scariest:

2) Businesses:

$17 billion - Reinstate Superfund taxes
$24 billion - tax carried-interest as income
$5 billion - codify "economic substance doctrine"
$61 billion - repeal LIFO
$210 billion - international enforcement, reform deferral, other tax reform
$4 billion - information reporting for rental payments
$5.3 billion - excise tax on Gulf of Mexico oil and gas
$3.4 billion - repeal expensing of tangible drilling costs
$62 million - repeal deduction for tertiary injectants
$49 million - repeal passive loss exception for working interests in oil and natural gas properties
$13 billion - repeal manufacturing tax deduction for oil and natural gas companies
$1 billion - increase to 7 years geological and geophysical amortization period for independent producers
$882 million - eliminate advanced earned income tax credit

Favorite Sermon line

Jesus is the Bread of life. From Ash Wednesday's sermon, somehow it turned to corn ethanol...

"At least we're not paying money to the Arabs."

Hilarious. Evidently I was a)the only one to catch it, or b)the only one who thought it was funny.

Boehner is right

Too many promises. Too little resources. Big government makes the promises, anyway:

Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) declared a return to “the era of big government” the day after President Obama’s first formal address to Congress.

“From everything I’ve seen, it looks like the era of big government spending is back,” he told reporters at a lunch convened by the Christian Science Monitor. “My question to my Democratic friends is how are you going to pay for it?”

The top Republican leader in the House praised President Obama for making a “compelling” case that the nation can overcome its economic challenges and pledged to work with him when he reaches across the aisle.

He later clarified that Republicans will work with Obama on areas of agreement but would maintain their ideological differences and fight for them. Despite several personal entreaties from Obama to support the stimulus bill, House Republicans illustrated their solid opposition when not one Republican crossed the aisle to support it last week.

Boehner also implied that Obama’s speech attempted to cast his policies as more conservative than they really are, even as government spending skyrockets with the last week’s $787 billion stimulus bill and a $410 billion omnibus appropriations measure, which the House is considering Wednesday.

“With few exceptions, it was a speech I could have given – it was a very conservative speech,” Boehner said. “But actions speak louder than words.”

It was, and it's frightening.

Kenosha teacher remembered as hero

Sad.

Several hundred people huddled in the cold Tuesday night near the bar in Kenosha where a special education teacher died.

They lit candles to remember 24-year-old Colin Byars. He suffered a fatal injury when he was punched and struck his head on the concrete after trying to stop some men from harassing his female friends. The confrontation happened early Saturday outside Big Shotz bar.

McKinley Middle School eighth-grader Holly Wolf says Byars always had something good to say and that he was a friend to everyone.

Students, parents and others hugged Byars' mother, Danelle Eckert, and offered condolences. Eckert says she was amazed by the number of people who attended the vigil. Byars' uncle, Nick Byars, says that you could tell by the turnout that his nephew was "truly one of the good guys."

Baby bear

Nanuq is gonna make some polar bear babies. Not sure how Mishka feels about that...

Madison's popular polar bear has now arrived in Buffalo, N.Y. to mate up with a female polar bear, object being to make little baby bears.

"We miss Nanuq but are proud that he will help to sustain his species," said Henry Vilas Zoo Director Jim Hubing.

Nanuq, the 21-year-old polar bear at the zoo, left the building Friday, making Mishka, the zoo's female polar bear, the sole occupant of the polar bear lair.

"She seems to be enjoying the time alone, especially in the pool," Hubing said.

Seems like she'll be on her own for a while.

And Nanuq may just put Henry Vilas Zoo on the map! (I gotta get there...)

Fact Check

Obama said quite a few things...open mouth, insert foot:

OBAMA: "We have launched a housing plan that will help responsible families facing the threat of foreclosure lower their monthly payments and refinance their mortgages. It's a plan that won't help speculators or that neighbor down the street who bought a house he could never hope to afford, but it will help millions of Americans who are struggling with declining home values."

THE FACTS: If the administration has come up with a way to ensure money only goes to those who got in honest trouble, it hasn't said so.

Defending the program Tuesday at a Senate hearing, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said it's important to save those who made bad calls, for the greater good. He likened it to calling the fire department to put out a blaze caused by someone smoking in bed.

"I think the smart way to deal with a situation like that is to put out the fire, save him from his own consequences of his own action but then, going forward, enact penalties and set tougher rules about smoking in bed."

Similarly, the head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. suggested this month it's not likely aid will be denied to all homeowners who overstated their income or assets to get a mortgage they couldn't afford.

"I think it's just simply impractical to try to do a forensic analysis of each and every one of these delinquent loans," Sheila Bair told National Public Radio.


OBAMA: "Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market. People bought homes they knew they couldn't afford from banks and lenders who pushed those bad loans anyway. And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day."

THE FACTS: This may be so, but it isn't only Republicans who pushed for deregulation of the financial industries. The Clinton administration championed an easing of banking regulations, including legislation that ended the barrier between regular banks and Wall Street banks. That led to a deregulation that kept regular banks under tight federal regulation but extended lax regulation of Wall Street banks. Clinton Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, later an economic adviser to candidate Obama, was in the forefront in pushing for this deregulation.

Obama says...

At his press conference just minutes ago:

"You should be succeeding with a hand FROM Washington."

I don't want a GOVERNMENT HAND. Take away your liberal money!!

Senator talks about Ginsberg

Who gave this guy a mic?

U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning predicted over the weekend that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would likely be dead from pancreatic cancer within nine months.

During a wide-ranging 30-minute speech on Saturday at the Hardin County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner, Bunning said he supports conservative judges "and that's going to be in place very shortly because Ruth Bader Ginsburg … has cancer."

"Bad cancer. The kind that you don't get better from," he told a crowd of about 100 at the old State Theater.

"Even though she was operated on, usually, nine months is the longest that anybody would live after (being diagnosed) with pancreatic cancer," he said.

Idiot. You don't talk about a sitting Justice that way. Cancer is a very private matter, a battle fought between the person and the disease, hopefully with the help of their family, etc.

As a U.S. Senator, shut your mouth. Talk about the stimulus and what you're doing for jobs and the economy and to keep our taxes low. Do not talk about the ailing Justice who deserves more respect than a 9-month diagnosis from some schlup.

And lastly, I reiterate: What a SCHMUCK!

Bunning, who only has about $150,000 in his campaign account, has been criticized because of his inability to raise money.

"I'm not only asking for your support, but if you have a $25 check somewhere, or whatever, you can send it, I'll cash it," he told the group.

Who says that?

Mistele's got a Green theme

Nancy Mistele released her Green agenda for the county last week.

- Save on cars that save at the pump - Eliminate County Sales tax on Hybrid/Electric Cars

· Green Business Czar - Create a business advocate that will help employers with permits so that they follow the rules, but don’t get overwhelmed or scared off with paperwork.

· Green Stamp of Approval - Follow the lead of local communities and streamline permitting and review process for businesses who follow green LEEDS standards which promote environmentally responsible construction and lower energy costs for builder.

· Put the brakes on Falk’s commuter rail - a $250 million amusement ride will pollute the environment with increased congestion, reduce public safety and sink the county in future debt. Instead, comprehensively evaluate extended county bus routes to all surrounding communities. Also explore expanding passenger rail routes from Madison to Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

· Respect our land and taxpayers - Applaud municipalities that protect land within their jurisdiction. Respect taxpayers by not purchasing land that is already protected. Taxpayers don’t need to own land to keep it green.

· Fair Market Value for Land - In today’s economy, taxpayers shouldn’t be expected to pay more for land than the market value. We must use proper comparables and independent appraisals when establishing purchase prices for land we do want to buy.

· Fair Notice - Establish a policy that requires county notification to property owners (business or residential) of potential zoning changes that may affect their property value or use.

· Cost Analysis - Require a fiscal impact study prior to any land use decisions.

· Public Access for Public Lands – If taxpayers are expected to pay for protecting land, they should have the right to enjoy those properties. Protected public lands must have public access.

· Green Awards - Reward and honor County Employees and citizens who come up with recommendations to streamline permitting process and maintain our high standard for environmental protection.

I'm with her on most all of these. Not so sure about the Czar...

American Express Membership Moments TV Spot

I'm diggin this ad. It's a new use of celebrity. Cool.

Drivers luck out

PHEW. Obama said No to higher taxes, at least this time. And at least for motorists that drive a lot of miles.

President Barack Obama on Friday rejected his transportation secretary's suggestion that the administration consider taxing motorists based on how many miles they drive instead of how much gasoline they buy.

"It is not and will not be the policy of the Obama administration," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters, when asked for the president's thoughts about Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's suggestion, raised in an interview with The Associated Press a daily earlier.

Gasoline taxes that for nearly half a century have paid for the federal share of highway and bridge construction can no longer be counted on to raise enough money to keep the nation's transportation system moving, LaHood told the AP.

How absurdly unfair it would be to approve such a policy.

But then again, just give them time to come up with something else.