George Bush Legacy

I have, over the past several years, been relatively supportive of President Bush.  I know that is an unpopular stance to take, considering at the time of this post his approval ratings are hovering around 25-30%.  There are several reasons why I have generally supported him and his adminstration, but the one that stands out more than any is his unwavering stance on security.  Many will argue the tactics taken by his administration, and I believe there is room for discussion/debate on that subject, but the fact that we haven’t seen any attacks on U.S. soil since 9/11, especially considering our wars in the Middle East, is nothing short of a miracle.  Many Presidents have been in power in a time where there were no attacks on the U.S., (Franklin Roosevelt and George Bush are the only ones that have in modern politics) so why does 7 years of NO attacks deserve consideration?  The answer to that is simple; this is a different time.  Islamic extremism is at an all time high, you couple that with the fact that traveling internationally is much cheaper and easier than in years prior, that, along with the ability to obtain material to create severe damage…add that all up and you have a recipe to create major havoc.  I will, as my liberal counterparts like to do, ”blame” that on George W. Bush (I mean if you’re going to blame everything else on him, you HAVE TO heap the “blame” of no terrorist attacks on the US onto his shoulders…).  With that in mind, I’m curious what people think George Bush’s legacy will be in say….20 years?!?!?  I will, after a time, give a little more insight of what my opinion is, but for now, let me know your thoughts……

ANOTHER New Tax

I am now on board.  There is a recession coming (if it isn’t here already), and it doesn’t look good.  I for one, am cutting back on costs, spending less, talking with the family and deciding what we can buy and what we can’t, but is Milwaukee City/County, Racine County, Kenosha County cutting back?!?!?  Hell no!  The Taxers are going to be in power soon, so why should the small business or common taxpayer not be “more patriotic” and start paying more in taxes????  This region/state is a joke!  The Democratic party is voted in on the premise that they are “for the working family” and then they turn around and propose MORE tax increases. 

There is a group out there that was developed several years back called the Regional Transit Authority, that includes Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha representatives.  The “Authority” (interesting choice of words) is made up of one representative from the following elected officials: City of Milwaukee Mayor, Milwaukee County, County Executive, City of Racine Mayor, Racine County, County Executive, City of Kenosha Mayor, Kenosha County, County Executive and a 7th lackey that votes for any addition to the KRM proposals.  The reason I titled this post ANOTHER tax is simple.  This quasi-group of people voted themselves surveryors of the whole region as it relates to transit.  They are going to control the buses in Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha  along with looking at and building the KRM (Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee railway that connects to Chicago’s METRA system) rail system – at the very least.   They also voted to increase the sales tax .5% for the three counties referenced to pay for all those systems (bus and rail).  Admittedly it’s not even close to being binding, but all the legislature has to do is say “Yes, that is a good idea” and we have an all encompassing Regional Transit Authority that can raise our taxes and give the big middle finger to all of those hard working tax payers.  This, for you Milwaukee residents, is in addition to the proposed and voted on sales tax increase for Milwaukee County, the guaranteed sick leave “tax” the city of Milwaukee businesses will have to face (many of them small businesses), and the double digit tax increase MPS has proposed. 

Sound like a lot?  Well, that’s because it is.  And since the Wisconsin, and specifically the Milwaukee, electorate decided to put people in power that do nothing but lick their chops and put their hand in your wallets, you have nobody to blame but yourselves.  Thank you, I’m rich enough, I can handle more of my hard earned money going to an entity that has proven time and again that they handle money like a 4 year old….. I’m being sarcastic by the way - I can’t handle anymore of my hard earned money being taken from me!

Quick Hit – The Dow Jones Argument

I’m a conservative, so this post may seem a little strange, but I want to tell all of those people on the left and the right to stop using the Dow Jones roller coaster ride as a reason to make your “case in points” argument.  In the case of liberals when the Dow plummets, don’t get on your soap box and say ”look, if we privatize Social Security, this is what can happen”.  In the case of conservatives, don’t use the dip in the Average when Barak Obama gets elected as a “see, I told you so…” moment.  This is not the best economic indicator we have, and when it goes up and down (especially recently) it more often than not, is NOT based on some political issue.  Just one mans opinion, but seeing blog posts on both sides jumping on that band wagon, well….it’s just plain annoying.

Quick Hit – Glendale: The Tax Hell Within The Tax Hell

I thought the City of Milwaukee was bad with taxes, looks like Glendale is the tax hell within the tax hell (countywise):

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/34272399.html

 

No wonder Glendale was only 1 of 3 communities last week to vote for the Sales Tax Increase…..I guess they’re just as bad as Milwaukee when it comes to dipping their fingers in private businesses pocket books – especially those nasty tax-exempt ones.

Milwaukee County Tax Referendum – Define “Spoken”

Leave it to the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel to define “The People Have Spoken” in the following fashion, as it pertains to the Milwaukee County Sales Tax Referendum results. 

http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/33929259.html

Here are the results as of today:

Percentage “Yes”	51.0%	-
Percentage “No”	49.0%
Total Votes “Yes”	185,562
Total Votes “No”	178,472
Percentage of Communities Voting “Yes”	15.8%
Percentage of Communities Voting “No”	84.2%
Community	# of Votes “Yes”	% Voting Yes	# of Votes “No”	% Voting No
Bayside	1123	46.5%	1294	53.5%
Brown Deer	2866	45.8%	3395	54.2%
Cudahy	3881	46.4%	4489	53.6%
Fox Point	1881	48.1%	2031	51.9%
Franklin	6534	38.2%	10560	61.8%
Glendale	3884	51.1%	3711	48.9%
Greendale	3066	38.1%	4975	61.9%
Greenfield	7332	41.5%	10342	58.5%
Hales Corners	1599	38.7%	2528	61.3%
Milwaukee	107550	57.4%	79692	42.6%
Oak Creek	6313	40.8%	9169	59.2%
River Hills	431	42.0%	596	58.0%
Shorewood	2082	45.7%	2469	54.3%
South Milwaukee	3949	54.0%	3361	46.0%
St. Francis	4596	46.0%	5448	54.0%
Wauwatosa	11991	45.6%	14304	54.4%
West Allis	11924	44.0%	15195	56.0%
West Milwaukee	759	51.3%	721	48.7%
Whitefish Bay	3801	47.6%	4192	52.4%

They are correct in the sense that the county has spoken, but their analysis of the voting by no means supports their claim that there is a mandate by the county to get this put into place.  When all but three communities’ vote NO (a resounding NO in almost every community except Milwaukee and Shorewood) that should tell you that there is considerable negative feeling towards this tax increase.  If this were a city of Milwaukee referendum, than I would fully agree that there was a clear message by the voters to put this increase in place.  The problem is it wasn’t just a city of Milwaukee referendum, it was the whole county.  If you are going to increase a tax on the whole county you had better take the other communities’ votes VERY seriously and not just base your argument on the weighted decisions by the geniuses in the city of Milwaukee.

Another issue that needs to be addressed regarding this tax increase is the wording of the referendum as it read on the ballot.  It states the following:

“Shall Wisconsin grant Milwaukee County the authority to provide property tax relief of at least $67 million by levying a 1% use and sales tax to be used to remove the following three items from the property tax levy: parks, recreation and culture; transit; and emergency medical services?”

Is there a reason they didn’t write it in the following fashion?

 

“Shall Wisconsin grant Milwaukee County the authority to increase the sales and use tax by 1% to be used to remove the following three items from the property tax levy: parks, recreation and culture; transit; and emergency medical services?  Along with providing property tax relief of at least $67 million dollars.”

Answer: Because if they start off the question with the ACTUAL intent (to raise taxes) instead of the fleece job of couching this as property tax relief the referendum would have never passed.  These are the tactics of the tax and spend crowd that permeates Milwaukee and Wisconsin. 

 

The next little nugget in all of this is everyone must realize that when you increase or institute a tax, whether it is for the city, county, state, or country it NEVER gets rescinded.  These decisions are permanent, worse yet, many governments use these increases as reasons to “pile on” several years down the road.  An example of that was the 1991 increase in the county sales tax, with promises that it was going to lower property taxes.  The tax was passed, instituted and property taxes went (wait for it…..) UP!  Should we take them for their word – Again?!?!  I’m not.

 

The last issue I have with this whole “the voter has spoken” deal is that 51% of the votes cast came from the City of Milwaukee (both Yes and No).  As I mentioned before this is a county tax and not a city tax, but the point I’m trying to make is that we had the city of Milwaukee make a decision that affected the other communities, when there was little to no support from those communities from the outset.  That decision?!?!?  The deep tunnel.  Think Milwaukee made a good decision for the outlying communities on that one?  If so, you haven’t been down to the lakefront beaches over the past several years.  With the billions of gallons of raw sewage dumped there over the years, our once great lakefront has become the port-a-potty of Milwaukee County board decisions.

“Tolerant” Left

Here’s what happens when you don’t agree in totality with the Democratic Party: http://www.usatoday.com/news/states/2008-11-07-reid-lieberman_N.htm?csp=34 Amazing, just 8 short years ago, Senator Lieberman was the Democratic nominee for Vice President.  Now, because he has a brain, and excercises the use of it, contrary to the wishs and DECREES of the Democratic Party, they’re looking to strip him of committee leadership positions and are shutting him out of Democratic caucuses.  This in conjunction with their failed attempt to get him voted out of office a few years ago. 

Anytime a liberal or a Democrat talks to you about tolerance, bi-partisanship, reaching across the aisle, “progressiveness”, etc, ask them about Joe Lieberman.  I was told as a conservative by the MSM and those same liberals that John McCain’s bucking of the Republican Party was “ground breaking”, important, and enlightented, but the minute there’s disention in the ranks of the Democratic Party, the minute someone has a differing opinion, the ever so tolerant, accepting Democrats just cannot allow that to happen.

Post Election “Synopsis”

And so it is….Barak Obama is the 44th President of the United States and will be taking office in less than three months.  As much as I think this was a major mistake by the American electorate I can completely understand why it happened.  George W. Bush - President AND a Republican represents the party, and frankly he is not very popular.  He has, I believe unfairly, been blamed for many things that were completely out of his control and in turn created a perception, in many peoples minds, that the party as a whole is bad, which it is not.  I’m not saying the GOP doesn’t need to get their collective heads out of the you-know-what.  What I am saying is, the majority of those that hold conservative/Republican beliefs are good people that want security for their finances, their global and domestic community (as it relates to the betterment of their fellow man), their family (financially and safety) and the overall quality of life for all. 

That being said, I have several wishes: 1) that Barak Obama NOT lead based off of his Illinois and US Senate record.  Helping those that are less fortunate is important, necessary and simply the right thing to do, but HOW you do that is more important than the intent.  Be true to your words President-Elect and work with us (citizens on the left AND the right) 2) Republican party – SHAPE UP!  You spout off about Reagan, and how great he was (which he was), but you don’t govern with that in mind.  Realize that it is more important to act on your principles than to just talk about them.  Stop getting into scandals.  Stop pandering to special interest groups and start acting like you understand what it means to be a conservative.   3) If Barak Obama and his Presidency are not bringing about hope and positive, responsible “change”, bring the fight to him.  Stand by your ideals, and right the ship.  The United States was built on hard work, integrity, entrepreneurship, and personal responsibility.  To turn our backs on those (and many other ideals) and allow our country to be turned into Canada (or worse) is not only bad, but IRRESPONSIBLE.   4) Lastly, when getting the party back to its roots, keep in mind that the next candidate, (whether it’s for the highest office, or the small town mayor) does not need to be the “next in line”.  This party needs to stop trotting out the Bob Dole’s and John McCain’s of the world.  They are both great Americans and men that I would love to sit and discuss politics, service to our country, etc, but they are not Presidents. 

I truly hope that Barak Obama follows through on some of his promises, especially the broad, feel good promises I heard in his acceptance speech.  I hope he is telling the truth when he said he wants to work with both Republicans and Democrats, and not take on the policies and procedures that Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will take.  I hope he is sincere in defending this country, our allies and is willing to confront evil around the world head on and not in the European fashion of appeasement.  These are not patronizing hopes, these are what I really hope for, but unfortunately don’t expect.  My last hope is that I am wrong about those expectation, and we can continue to move this country forward domestically and internationally.  Good luck to both you Mr. Obama, and our Democratic Congress, but most importantly good luck to the American public – I feel we’re going to need it.

Milwaukee County Sales Tax Referendum

MAN, do I wish I would have been commenting on this debacle of a tax increase over the past several weeks/months…..I do have to give the left of this community a little credit, they do realize that the way to “sell” the public is to offer them some sort of “tax cut” to get them to at least pay attention to their shenanigans, and they have not disappointed this time.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, well let me share.  There will be a non-binding referendum on this years ballot, for Milwaukee County residents, basically asking to increase the sales tax by .5%.  The bulk of this tax revenue is supposed to go to pay for Milwaukee County’s transit system and parks, with a portion (and this is the “upsell”) supposedly going to Milwaukee County property tax payers in the form of property tax relief. 

All that sounds good, right?  Here’s the problem, oh wait PROBLEMS.  One Milwaukee AND Wisconsin, by every partisan and more importantly Non-Partisan tax groups, sit in the top 5 of most taxed areas/states in the union.  Two, I have posed the following question to advocates (political and general citizens who support the tax): If I support this tax, what assurances will you give me that in the next 2, 5, 10, 20+ years a portion of this sales tax increase will go towards property tax relief?  I have not found ONE person able to answer that question.  Why?  The reason is they can’t.  They can’t because this isn’t about property tax relief; this is about raising taxes, period!  Three, (and this goes for City of Milwaukee residents) even if there is property tax relief, MPS is going to absolutely HAMMER you this year withtheir increases.  Hell, they’re putting out a quality product, why not throw another double digit tax increase onto our bills, that’ll fix it, right????  See the pattern???  Next, if you were not living here in 1991, the same “sales job” was thrown at Milwaukee County residents.  Do you think there was lasting property tax relief?  Of course not!  The left of this area are hoping that we won’t remember that last snow job.  They’re telling me now, “this is different”, this is REAL tax relief.  Fool me once – shame on you.  Fool me twice – shame on me.  Lastly, and this is NEVER discussed by the supporters (Milwaukee liberals)…this is a regressive tax, plain and simple.  A tax that hits those in the lower tax bracket.  Admittedly it will not be in place for food, gas and prescription drugs, but everything else is fair game.  In an economy that is stagnant, at best, is raising a tax that hits those less fortunate a very liberal/compassionate thing to do??  It’s a rhetorical question, of course, but it needs to get out there.

Liberals in this region/state (country as well – see my previous post) do not think we pay enough taxes.  Not enough in property taxes, sales taxes, income taxes, inheritance taxes (name it and it’s not taxed enough).  I would say to those supporting this increase, just be honest and tell me you want to raise my taxes to support transit and parks.  I still wouldn’t support it, because I believe there needs to be a more thorough look at the city, county and statewide costs, but at least I would have some respect for those supporting this referendum.  These tactics reek, and considering I pay a boatload in taxes, you’d better come up with a better, more reasonable argument for taking money out of my wallet.  On a related note, if being patriotic means paying more in taxes, Wisconsin residents are one of the most patriotic citizens this country has EVER SEEN!!!!

Presidential Election

Last I read, Obama is up by 6 points in the Rasmussen poll.  It’s Monday at 10:00 pm and it is now (if it wasn’t already there) in the hands of the American electorate.  I am here to say, as if it wasn’t apparent, that I am voting for McCain.  There are MANY reasons that Senator McCain is getting my vote, but I can honestly say a large reason is because I firmly believe, and I have yet to find an Obama supporter that can argue against this with any intelligence is, that McCain is a more QUALIFIED candidate to become POTUS than Obama, period.  ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THREE DAYS…..Why do I emphasize those 6 words???  Simple, that’s how many days that Senator Obamahas been a U.S. Senator.  My Lord, you can’t become a shift manager at McDonald’s with that many days “on the job”.  So what makes this man QUALIFIED to become POTUS, and more importantly what is wrong with the American people that they are sooooo willing to vote this guy in???? 

I will say this, Senator Obama is right on a couple things.  One, and I heard this on Monday Night Football, is that college football needs a playoff system (8 teams and let them play it out for the national championship) and two, that this election is one of the most important elections to face the American public.  With that knowledge (and I think we can all agree that Obama is correct on the importance of this race – and the playoff system…) don’t you think that we, as a country should put someone in charge that is slightly more qualified than a junior senator, with a hair more than 2 years in the US Senate, with no executive, and foreign affairs experience (amongst other concerns)????  It sounds like a simple question, but for some reason, if you trust the polls, over 50% of those polled think it’s ok to put the district manager of the Elk Grove Village McDonald’s (Illinois suburb reference) in charge of the Corporation.  You can tell me that he’s going to have advisers, (Biden, for example…..Oh, wait Democrats don’t really want to admit that), but you can put all of the VP’s/advisers in place, but the final decision still comes down to the district manager now made leader of the free world.  Does it sound scary?  If it doesn’t you need to look around.  If it looks dark and kind of grainy, you need to get your head out of the sand and realize we are in a world that needs experience, not prophetized “HOPE”.

Tomorrow will give us a new president.  If things go as most people expect, America will be electing one of the most liberal, inexperienced people to sit in that office in the modern age.  Do me a favor America, DO NOT blame me (or the Republicans), come 2010, when things look like absolute garbage.  That falls squarely on the Democratic leadership, Barak Obama, and most importantly those people that voted for that ever popular District Manager.