This and That...

[Warph]

                             

Exposing Washington's Dishonest Budget Math
....By Daniel J. Mitchell

I've repeatedly tried to expose pervasive fiscal dishonesty in Washington.

In these John Stossel and Judge Napolitano interviews, for instance, I explain that the crooks in DC have created a system that allows them to claim they're cutting the budget when the burden of government spending actually is rising.

This sleazy system is designed in part to deceive the American people, and the current squabbling over the fiscal cliff is a good example. The President claims he has a "balanced approach" that involves budget cuts, but look at the second chart at this link and you will see that he's really proposing bigger government.





This dishonest approach also was used by the President's Fiscal Commission and last year's crummy debt limit deal was based on this form of fiscal prevarication.

Here are some key excerpts from a Wall Street Journal editorial exposing this scam:
...President Obama and John Boehner are playing by the dysfunctional Beltway rules. The rules work if you like bigger government, but Republicans need a new strategy, which starts by exposing the rigged game of "baseline budgeting." ...numbers have no real meaning because they are conjured in the wilderness of mirrors that is the federal budget process. Since 1974, Capitol Hill's "baseline" has automatically increased spending every year according to Congressional Budget Office projections, which means before anyone has submitted a budget or cast a single vote. Tax and spending changes are then measured off that inflated baseline, not in absolute terms. ...Democrats designed this system to make it easier to defend annual spending increases and to portray any reduction in the baseline as a spending "cut." Chris Wallace called Timothy Geithner on this "gimmick" on "Fox News Sunday" this week, only to have the Treasury Secretary insist it's real. ...in the current debate the GOP is putting itself at a major disadvantage by negotiating off the phony baseline. ...If Republicans really want to slow the growth in spending, they need to stop playing by Beltway rules and start explaining to America why Mr. Obama keeps saying he's cutting spending even as spending and deficits keep going up and up and up.

You probably won't be surprised to learn that other nations rely on this crooked system, most notably the United Kingdom, which supposedly is imposing "savage" cuts even though government spending keeps rising (and they fooled Paul Krugman, though he seems to make a habit of misreading foreign fiscal and economic data).
But let's return to the American fiscal situation. Republicans almost certainly will lose the battle over the fiscal cliff because they meekly are playing cards with a rigged deck controlled by the other side.

They should expose this scam by using nominal numbers and looking at year-over-year changes in both taxes and spending. I did that last year and showed how simple it is to balance the budget in a short period of time.

They key thing to understand is that (barring a recession) tax revenues rise every year. Indeed, the Congressional Budget Office projects that tax revenue will climb by an average of more than 6 percent annually over the next 10 years – even if the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts are made permanent.

So all that's really needed to bring red ink under control is a modest bit of spending restraint. This video is from 2010, but the analysis is still completely relevant today.

It's amazing how good things happen when you follow the Golden Rule of fiscal policy.

[jarhead]

Good for Gov Brownback. Now I hope he tells these morons to shove it where the sun doesn't shine.


Secular group rips Kansas Gov. Brownback for his promotion of faith rally
Published December 10, 2012

A secular group tore into Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback over the weekend for promoting a national faith rally, saying the Republican governor needs to "repent" for allegedly violating the separation of church and state.
Whether any constitutional boundaries were actually breached is unclear, but Americans United for Separation of Church and State was unsparing in its criticism of the governor.

"The people of Kansas do not need politicians telling us when, how or whether to pray," Vickie Sandell Stangl, president of the Great Plains Chapter of Americans United, said in a statement.

"If anybody needs to repent, it's Gov. Brownback. He needs to repent for violating the constitutional separation of church and state."

The Kansas governor spoke on Saturday at a ReignDown USA event in Topeka, Kan., where he used his 10-minute appearance to discuss how he turned to religion after being diagnosed with cancer in 1995.

According to an account in The Topeka Capital-Journal, Brownback said: "I finally reached up and said, 'God, this life's yours.' It started a great adventure."

But what really rankled Americans United for Separation of Church and State was Brownback's earlier promotion of the prayer rally, in the form of a state proclamation.

"The governor is really overstepping his constitutional bounds. He was elected to serve as governor of our state, not our state pastor-in-chief," Stangl said.

Reached for comment, Executive Director Barry Lynn explained that the group was more concerned with a proclamation put out by the governor's office than his actual remarks at the event.

In the proclamation, Brownback declared Saturday -- the day of the event -- to be a "Day of Restoration."

"We collectively repent of distancing ourselves from God and ask for His mercy on us," the proclamation said.

Brownback, though, also used the proclamation to quote former American presidents -- including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson -- who discussed their faith and God.

"WHEREAS, our Nation's greatest leaders have called on a merciful God for favor during troubled times," the proclamation said, quoting the Jefferson line: "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever."

Lynn said the proclamation went too far by "proclaiming that this is good for everyone in the state of Kansas." He said the statement was tantamount to making the ReignDown USA rally a "special state event."

The group also accused ReignDown USA organizers of wanting "government leaders to adopt their religious vision and impose it on us all."

Those organizers, though, rejected that claim.

"We were all just gathering, uniting together, and praying for change," said Shawn-Marie Cole, chief visionary officer with the organizer.

Walt Kallestad, president of the group's advisory board, said the event is not about imposing belief sets.

"ReignDown is really a call for humility, prayer, repentance," he said.

It's hardly the first time Brownback has worn his faith on his sleeves.

In August 2011, he joined Texas Gov. Rick Perry for a national prayer rally. It came as Perry was considering a run for the Republican presidential nomination.

"It is no secret that Governor Brownback is a man of faith. He believes strongly in the power of prayer and so do the people of Kansas," spokeswoman Sherriene Jones-Sontag said in the governor's defense.

Organizers for ReignDown USA have not yet returned requests from FoxNews.com for comment.

[jarhead]

This just shows how stupid our country has become. We can only hope there is a "self destruct bomb" inside each jet that we can activate when the time comes that we, or Israel are fighting against our own planes---and the time will come.



US sending 20 more F-16s to Egypt, despite turmoil in Cairo
By Maxim Lott

Published December 10, 2012

Instability in Egypt, where a newly-elected Islamic government teeters over an angry population, isn't enough to stop the U.S. from sending more than 20 F-16 fighter jets, as part of a $1 billion foreign aid package.

The first four jets are to be delivered to Egypt beginning Jan. 22, a source at the naval air base in Fort Worth, where the planes have been undergoing testing, told FoxNews.com. The North African nation already has a fleet of more than 200 of the planes and the latest shipment merely fulfills an order placed two years ago. But given the uncertainty in Cairo, some critics wonder if it is wise to be sending more top gun planes.

"Should an overreaction [by Egypt] spiral into a broader conflict between Egypt and Israel, such a scenario would put U.S. officials in an embarrassing position of having supplied massive amounts of military hardware ... to both belligerents," said Malou Innocent, a foreign policy analyst at the Cato Institute. "Given Washington's fiscal woes, American taxpayers should no longer be Egypt's major arms supplier."


"Given Washington's fiscal woes, American taxpayers should no longer be Egypt's major arms supplier."



The U.S. government ordered and paid for the fighter jets for Egypt's military as part of foreign aid for Egypt back in 2010, when Hosni Mubarak ruled. The fighter jets were supposed to be delivered in 2013, and delivery will go ahead as scheduled even though Hosni Mubarak has been removed from power and replaced by Mohamed Morsi, who led the Muslim Brotherhood before becoming Egypt's president.

Morsi was democratically elected, but last month attempted to seize dictatorial powers for himself. After widespread protests and violence in Egypt's capital of Cairo, Morsi backed off from his power grab. But he is pushing through a controversial new constitution for Egypt that would more strictly enforce Islamic Shariah law, and only recently said he reserves the right to have the military arrest protesters without charges.

"The Morsi-led Muslim Brotherhood government has not proven to be a partner for democracy as they had promised, given the recent attempted power grab," a senior Republican congressional aide told FoxNews.com.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, (R-Fla.), who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, recently criticized U.S. military aid to Egypt:

"The Obama administration wants to simply throw money at an Egyptian government that the president cannot even clearly state is an ally of the United States," Rep. Ros-Lehtinen said.

The $213 million order, which is paid for by U.S. taxpayers and is part of Egypt's foreign aid package from America, had to be approved by lawmakers in Washington.While the basic F-16 has been a military workhorse for top air forces for more than 25 years, the cockpit electronics are constantly updated and the models Egypt is getting are the best defense contractor Lockheed Martin makes.

"This is a great day for Lockheed Martin and a testament to the enduring partnership and commitment we have made to the government of Egypt," said John Larson, vice president, Lockheed Martin F-16 programs. "We remain committed to providing our customer with a proven, advanced 4th Generation multirole fighter."

"In an air combat role, the F-16's maneuverability and combat radius exceed that of all potential threat fighter aircraft," the U.S. Air Force description of the plane reads.

"The F-16 can fly more than 500 miles, deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its starting point. An all-weather capability allows it to accurately deliver ordnance during non-visual bombing conditions."

A Pentagon spokesman said the U.S. and Egypt have an important alliance that is furthered by the transfer.

"The U.S.-Egypt defense relationship has served as the cornerstone of our broader strategic partnership for over thirty years," said Lt. Col. Wesley Miller. "The delivery of the first set of F-16s in January 2013 reflects the U.S. commitment to supporting the Egyptian military's modernization efforts. Egyptian acquisition of F-16s will increase our militaries' interoperability, and enhance Egypt's capacity to contribute to regional mission sets."

Last month, State Department official Andrew J. Shapiro explained why the administration plans to continue military aid to Egypt:

"I know that the uncertainty over the Egyptian transition has prompted some in Congress to propose conditioning our security assistance to Egypt. The administration believes that putting conditions on our assistance to Egypt is the wrong approach, and Secretary Clinton has made this point strongly. Egypt is a pivotal country in the Middle East and a long-time partner of the United States. We have continued to rely on Egypt to support and advance U.S. interests in the region, including peace with Israel, confronting Iranian ambitions, interdicting smugglers, and supporting Iraq," he said

[Warph]

So far, Jar, we have had 62 Egyptian pilots train on F-16s here at Luke AFB in the past two years.  This program has been ongoing now for the past 10 or so years here.  Most training AF bases in the U.S. have pilots from all over the middle east learning to fly everything from C-130s to fighter jets to choppers.  I have written about this before... it sucks. 

[Warph]

Johnny Cash Sings The Obama Blues


Uploaded on Dec 2, 2011

[jarhead]

Let me see if I got this right---the reason the Taliban are killing Americans is because we don't understand their culture ---that it is OK for the men to molest little boys and as long as they don't fall in love with the tykes it not homosexual behavior and therefore is accepted. What hog wash !! I hope Gen J. Allen tells the Army, politely, that they can keep their new handbook, and just leave him and his Marines alone so they can do their job of killing as many of the Taliban as they can. This pacification BS was tried before and it didn't work then, and won't now.



A proposed new handbook for Americans serving in Afghanistan warns them not to speak ill about the Taliban, advocate women's rights or criticize pedophilia, and the general in charge is not happy with it.

The draft of the newest Army handbook seems to suggest that ignorance of Afghan culture is to blame for deadly attacks by Afghan soldiers against the coalition forces, according to The Wall Street Journal, which got a peek at the 75-page document. But its message of walking on eggshells around the locals is not going over well with U.S. Marine Gen. John Allen, the top military commander in Afghanistan.

"Gen. Allen did not author, nor does he intend to provide, a foreword," said Col. Tom Collins, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan. "He does not approve of its contents."


The study, based on interviews with 600 members of the Afghan security forces and 200 American soldiers, painted a grim portrait of opposing cultures with simmering disdain for their counterparts.

The draft handbook includes a summary stating that some U.S. soldiers consider Afghan forces to be "basically stupid" thieves, "gutless in combat," "profoundly dishonest" and engaged in "treasonous collusion and alliances with enemy forces."

The draft handbook offers a list of "taboo conversation topics" that soldiers should avoid, including "making derogatory comments about the Taliban," "advocating women's rights," "any criticism of pedophilia," "directing any criticism toward Afghans," "mentioning homosexuality and homosexual conduct" or "anything related to Islam," according to the Journal.

[jarhead]

What a crock of crap !!!! If we don't kick the liberals out of our country and our military---or at least the ones running the show---then the day is not far off when our country will be protected by nothing but a bunch of limp wristed ,pantywaists . I can see it now" Men , get ready to assault the hill' --" we can't Lt, we are drinking our Lattes and waiting for our fingernail polish to dry"
This kind of crap frosts my nads to no end !! If Gen. Amos condones or enforces this BS then it's time for him to resign .


Military to subject Marines to random Breathalyzer tests in strict anti-drinking crackdown
Published December 26, 2012

FoxNews.com

WASHINGTON – The U.S. military next month plans to start subjecting Marines to random Breathalyzer tests, as part of its strictest anti-drinking policy to date. Even one drink could get a Marine referred for counseling.

The initiative, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2013, is part of a broader program aimed at stopping Marines from underage drinking and drinking while on duty. They will be required to take the tests twice a year.

"Breathalyzer testing will enable commanders to test 100 percent of the Marines in their unit in order to take appropriate actions related to the health and safety of Marines such as training, education and referral to substance abuse counseling," spokesman Maj. Shawn Haney told FoxNews.com.

Under the Marine order, monthly reports will be kept by each unit and quarterly reports will be submitted to Marine Corps headquarters. It's up to the unit commander whether he or she wants to hand down additional punishment.

Any Marine who tests positive at .01 percent or higher, under the policy, could be referred by a commander for "training, education and further screening" at a substance abuse center. If a Marine tests .04 percent or higher, he or she will be referred to medical personnel to determine whether they are fit for duty.

The maximum blood alcohol level for driving in all 50 states and the District of Columbia is 0.08 percent -- much higher than the limit the Marines will impose on their personnel. Just one drink could easily bring the level to 0.01 percent, but some say such a strict crackdown is necessary.

In 2011, there were 13 alcohol-related deaths among Marines.

A study by the U.S. Institute of Medicine found that binge drinking or "sport drinking" has been on the rise among personnel in all branches of the military. In 2008, 47 percent admitted to binge drinking with 20 percent calling themselves "heavy drinkers," a figure sharply higher than a decade ago when only 35 percent admitted to binge drinking.

The program is part of the Secretary of the Navy's 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative aimed at reinforcing healthy lifestyles both on and off duty which entails curbing alcohol misuse and abuse. Early intervention is intended for Marines who have some difficulty with alcohol but who do not have an established pattern of abuse, Haney said.

During a pilot program in March 2012, the U.S. Navy said it would begin Breathalyzer tests for sailors stationed onboard ships and submarines and at air squadrons to curb alcohol abuse.

The Navy has also begun random testing of urine samples this month for synthetic chemical compounds such as synthetic marijuana known as Spice. Last year, the Navy discharged 94 sailors for using Spice. Most were from the aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Carol Vinson, which was the vessel used to dispose of Usama bin Laden's body.

[Warph]

Am I the only person left in America who doesn't want a running negative news report everywhere I go?

Have you noticed that everywhere you go now there is a blaring television with the most disturbing news blasting in your ears?  I have, and it's getting really tiresome.  I can understand that a sports bar or pub would have a TV for sports or something (though with the PC stuff some of the sportscasters spout on ESPN etc., I sometimes think I am watching the news), but why at every regular restaurant or even just in a store or doctor's office do I continually have to watch the mayhem and anxiety-producing news that I am going out to escape?  Apparently I'm not alone, as others have noticed the trend in recent years.

And it's not just restaurants, it's doctor's offices, stores, planes, and everywhere the public goes.  Even my gym is inundated with TVs that show one catastrophe after the next.  I thought people were watching less TV, but maybe this is at home where they have the choice.  Or are people just turning to other gadgets and devices to give them something to do constantly?  Is it too much to ask just to be able to sit quietly, ride the treadmill without the mayhem, or just read or stare into space in a public place?   Apparently so.  I am getting one of those TV-B-Gone remote controls that allow me to turn those damn things off.  They give me a headache.

                       

$19.95
https://www.tvbgone.com/cfe_tvbg_buy.tvbg.php?PHPSESSID=t0jfjor3am5bu38s09t0reg530

This small keychain wonder is designed to turn off virtually any television. Invented by Mitch Altman, a former Silicon Valley entrepreneur, the TV-B-Gone is a simple remote control device with a single button. When activated, the unit emits 209 different turn-off codes for nearly every TV. The unit...more takes a little more than a minute to cycle through all of the turn-off codes, but fortunately, codes for the most common TVs are emitted first.

Imagine... You're sitting in a restaurant with your friends.  The TV in the corner is blaring.
Sounds tempting...

[Bullwinkle]

       I remember when they first put TVs in places like restaraunts or bars, the customers controled the remote.

[jarhead]

Can one of you smart people, like ol Warph, explain why the tax payers should pick up the tab to the tune of 17 billion dollars, included in this aid pkg, to help people rebuild their homes and business's ? Isn't that what insurance is for ?
About the same time as Sandy we had some high winds that broke a big limb out of a cotton wood tree and smashed the roof in on a lean to. After the deductable my insurance company cut me a check and I had the roof replaced. Should I save money by dropping my home owners insurance and just let Uncle Sam pay for damage done by Mother nature---or you think I better keep paying for insurance ?



Senate-passed $60.4 billion Sandy aid package heads to tight-fisted House
Published December 29, 2012

FoxNews.

The $60.4 billion emergency-aid package for Hurricane Sandy victims that the Senate has passed now faces an uncertain, final vote Sunday in the Republican-controlled House, which has expressed a desire to pass a less-expensive bill in the final days of the lame duck session.

The measure passed the Democrat-controlled Senate on Friday by a 62-32 vote, after Republicans failed to pass amendments that would have cut the package to $24 billion.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that only about $9 billion of the $60.4 billion would be spent over the next nine months.

The late-October storm hammed the East Coast for several days, killing at 120 people. The flooding, high winds and pounding surf stretched from North Carolina to Maine -- with New York, New Jersey and Connecticut hit hardest.

Rep. Paul Ryan, the party's 2012 vice presidential nominee and a leading House fiscal conservative, has criticized the Democratic bill as "packed with funding for unrelated items" such as commercial fisheries in American Samoa and roof repair of museums in Washington.

Senate Republicans tried to strip commercial fisheries and other non-immediate funding for their chamber's bill.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., also targeted the fisheries disaster funding, unsuccessfully proposing an amendment to cut $150 million that could go to Alaska, the Gulf Coast and New England states.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., urged House leaders to quickly bring the Senate bill to the chamber floor to allow a vote.

He also the Senate bill provides "very good groundwork" for seeking Sandy aid next year, should the House vote against the legislation.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi also urged House leaders to allow a vote.

"Our fellow Americans are waiting for relief to rebuild their homes, businesses, communities and lives," the California Democrat said. "Now that the Senate has acted ... the House must do the same immediately."

The measure includes $11.5 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's chief disaster relief fund and $17 billion for community development block grants, much of which would help homeowners repair or replace their homes. Another $11.7 billion would help repair New York City's subways and other mass transit damage and protect them from future storms. Some $9.7 billion would go toward the government's flood insurance program. The Army Corps of Engineers would receive $5.3 billion to mitigate flood future risks and rebuild damaged projects.

To court votes, Democrats last week broadened some of their bill's provisions to cover damage from Hurricane Isaac, which struck the Gulf Coast earlier this year. A provision was added to the $2.9 billion allotted to Army Corps of Engineers projects to reduce future flooding risks; the coverage area for that program will now include areas hit by Isaac in addition to Sandy. Democrats also shifted $400 million into a community development program for regions suffering disasters, beyond areas struck by Sandy.

A Coburn amendment to reduce the federal share of costs for the Army Corps of Engineer projects to reduce future flooding risks also failed.

Most of the money in the $60.4 billion bill -- $47.4 billion -- is for immediate help for victims and other recovery and rebuilding efforts. The aid is intended to help states rebuild public infrastructure like roads and tunnels, and help thousands of people displaced from their homes.

Coburn and Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, frequent critics of government spending, targeted what they called "questionable" spending in the Democratic bill, including $2 million for roof repairs at Smithsonian Institution museums and $58 million in subsidies for tree planting on private properties.

A McCain amendment to strip the tree subsidies failed.

Republicans also criticized $13 billion in the Democratic bill for projects to protect against future storms, including fortifying mass transit systems in the Northeast. Republicans said however worthy such projects may be, they are not urgently needed and should be considered by Congress in the usual appropriations process next year.