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page will share ideas about state issues in many policy areas, but
primarily with a focus on economic development issues such as the
business investment climate and job creation. |
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July 11, 2010 -
Duncan: Congress needs to act now on school money - Back to
using schools as an excuse to push their spending agenda, just like
adding pork to the war supplemental funding. Watch for the
education agenda to come back as they
seek teacher union election help. |
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July 11, 2010 -
Struggling states seeking more aid from Washington - Straining
to make it look as though there is bipartisan consensus among governors
that they want more money from Washington. Wait until the balance
of power shifts in the NGA
after November. Compare this story to what you can find through
the custom search tool for official websites of
Republican governors or through the
Republican Governors Association www.rga.org
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Keep it simple. Send a clear message
to Washington. If you do this, we will work to defeat you. |
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Please help with our research by state.
We're looking for conservative and Republican links. |
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Hundreds of people showed up for the
Chicago Tea Party taxpayer revolt.
See our photos and videos, news and event
links. Nationwide, 45 events attracted 15,000+ people.
This was organized by online networking among local volunteers in less
than one week.
Plans are in progress for larger
Tax Day Tea
Party protests on April 15, and again on July 4. |
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The Chicago Tea Party. Thank
you, Rick Santelli of CNBC. Can we make it happen in July?
See the video rant, links, and our own thoughts. Feature what
conservative governors and mayors are doing. |
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The Tax Foundation has issued their
latest booklet -
Facts and Figures Handbook: How Does Your State Compare?
available to
download in PDF format Note the "Tax Freedom Day" table on
page 6 showing which states have the highest tax burden on individuals
(all federal, state, and local taxes).
The top 10 highest tax burdens: CT
NJ NY CA WA MA MD MN FL
HI
The next 10 are NV VA RI
WI CO IL UT PA ID AZ
Do you observe a pattern? Correlation
to Democratic legislatures and governors in most cases?
Note the State Business Tax Climate Index
(pg 7) and Corporate Tax Index (pg 8) as well. In short, some
states put more of their spending burden directly on businesses, but the
total affects everybody. Some totals may also be distorted by
unfunded mandates (future obligations, such as pensions, etc.).
Refer also the The Tax Foundation's
CompeteUSA project about
the US corporate tax burden. |
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November 19, 2009 -
GOP governors push for 2010 party rebirth - Comment:
What's the plan? |
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Michigan, California - November 14, 2009 -
State Finance Directors Warn of More Trouble Ahead - Comment:
Watch how dependent the states will become as the stimulus money runs
out without economic recovery yet. Meanwhile, new federal mandates
(health care, education, etc.) will create even more budget pressures,
as will unfunded liabilities for state employee benefits. |
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Illinois -
June 1, 2009 -
AP Exclusive: Blago talked to Durbin about Senate - Comment:
Dick Durbin tries to avoid being perceived later as having done anything
improper in his Blagojevich contact. |
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Illinois - June 1, 2009 -
Blagojevich could get spring 2010 trial - Comment:
A
three month trial starting in April - June 2010 - just in time for the
election cycle. |
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Illinois - June 1, 2009 -
Burris is an outcast in clubby Senate - Comment:
Surprise, surprise. He still receives "warm welcomes" in Illinois
because "several dozen supporters" greeted him last week, such as a
longtime friend who is still willing to go on the record as shaking his
hand in public? |
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May 31, 2009 - Has economic twilight fallen on nation's Sun Belt? -
Comment:
No. The same cannot be said for some of the dark blue states in the
North, where very dark times lie ahead. |
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Illinois - May 26, 2009 -
Burris pleads on taped call for Senate appointment - Comment:
Will the US Senate do anything about this? Don't bet on it.
Illinois voters will have to fire him in 2010. |
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Alaska - March 19, 2009 -
Palin turns down almost half of stimulus funds - Comment:
The state legislature may decide to take the rest, however. Some
other Republican governors are doing this, too. |
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Hawaii : February 22, 2009 The Akaka
Bill: A Cash Cow for Democrats - from
Andrew
Walden, who edits
hawaiifreepress.com as brought to our attention by this article in
the
American Thinker blog. For those in other states who don't pay
much attention to Hawaii politically, think again. Obama does. |
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Illinois : February 22, 2009 - the
Illinois
Republican Renaissance Project (PAC) favors
the creation of a new "Committee of 100" among business
leaders and major Republican donors in the state to transform the
Illinois Republican party, which needs new leadership. See
Surge: Illinois for more links. |
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February 21, 2009 - Obama wants to overhaul health care; can he do it?
- Comment: As warned recently, the stimulus bill was just the
opening move to nationalize health care. |
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News -
February 21, 2009 Governors debate how to handle stimulus' billions
- Comment: Will the federal government acquire even more power
to mandate state policy choices through the "stimulus" plan? |
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News -
February 21, 2009 Gov. Sebelius, Kansas GOP fight over health care -
Comment: Is she looking to step in for Daschle? What
track record does she bring to that role? Is this another case of
putting alleged "good intentions" and "attempts" to be bi-partisan ahead
of demonstrable performance, while basically pushing the party's agenda
for the nationalization of health care, Daschle-style. |
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News -
February 20, 2009 - Obama warns mayors not to waste stimulus money -
Comment: Yes, they should leave that up to Obama and the
Congress. They can blow trillions, but mayors have to act
responsibly and implement his national social agenda, or else they will
be called to account. Anybody else remember the 10th Amendment in the
Bill of Rights? The state and local governments are the ones who are
supposed to have the real power so that there is more real
accountability to voters for the decisions they make, not the distant
federal government politicians and bureaucrats. This is dangerous. |
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News -
February 19, 2009 - Clyburn: Opposition to stimulus is slap in face
- Comment: Absolutely. It's a slap in a face to those
socialists in Washington who want to impose their ideas on states by
trying to circumvent and undermine the authority and values of governors
and legislatures through federal bribes. Clyburn and Holder may be
playing the race card as proxies for Obama now that he is facing growing
criticism for his actions, but the real blowback will come in 2010.
Voters will remember this. |
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Thanks to the NY Times and Karl Rove.
Surprise yourself. Do your own 2008 election analysis. |
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Spammer in Chief - the rise of
populism in America, and the Organizing for America initiative |
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The insanity of education at any price.
What values are we teaching our future workforce? |
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A "modest proposal" for a federal
Education Stimulus Plan. Invest in the kids, not colleges. |
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Bailing out
failed states. A new cycle of growing federal dependency -
state welfare. |
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"Creating and
saving jobs". Even kids soon doubt the reality of an
Easter Bunny who redistributes free eggs to all. They know that
they only come from chickens - and are usually bought at a store at the
market price. They know that their parents work hard to put food
on the table and care for their needs.
Federal, state, and local officials seem to be even more out of touch
with reality about job creation, as though they were elected to be the
Easter Bunny and provide well-paid jobs and free benefits for all. |
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Lessons learned from California and Texas. It's a whole other
country on the left coast. Why have many businesses moved out of
California to other states? Why are many moving into Texas?
State business climates differ, and they matter. Competition among
states for job creation is a good thing. Federal initiatives to
try to manipulate where business goes are not a good thing.
Business location decisions should not be driven by federal intervention
in state and local economies. Let them compete. |
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The South has risen again. The Union was a prescient name for
the liberal industrial North. The once prosperous Yankees have
impoverished themselves by choice. The South is where business
keeps moving. That doesn't mean the industrial North is doomed to
economic decline. It's just time to wake up. Some regions
which led the economic development of this country went off the rails
politically after forgetting who was really driving their past
prosperity. It wasn't state and federal government officials. |
