One of the many things that the people in elected office do, is to make the error that free speech triumphs the liberty of others.  Persons who abuse the US Constitution to behave badly while spouting bigotry always scream "free speech".

There is no such Constitutional grantee, simply put, the US constitution does not guarantee that one can spout whatever one wants.

As a holder of public office ask yourself this question, under what circumstances would you allow the right of others to be trampled on by the many, or the few?

The Non Stimulus Effect – Moving Slightly Forward

The state of Oregon has issued a map, which is linked to the data of what counties are receiving Federal stimulus monies. If you notice the counties with the largest liberal voting blocks are receiving the most money. The counties that are more conservative politically are receiving less.

http://www.oregon.gov/recovery/StimulusReporting/index.shtml

And then there is Tri-Met, also receiving Federal stimulus money, making the deceleration that the money that they receive will be used to install heated switches, repair worn-out track, upgrade the roadbed that the track sits on. Using existing vendors, which means that, with an unemployment rate greater than ten percent, no one without a job already will get a new one.

So much for the word stimulus, in point of fact this is just business as usual, because Tri-Met plans to lay off some drivers and curtail service. So as you can see our original thesis is correct. The Federal government is going head over heals in debt and the alleged stimulus is having zero effect.

Sherman.

The Non Stimulus Effect

Recently there has been a lot of discussion about the effect that the Federal Stimulus package, Obama Just signed it, will have on the economy of Oregon. The total impact for Oregon businesses will be minimal and the impact on individuals even less.

The Oregon legislature, a few days prior to the signing of the bill by Obama, cut the Oregon tax code loose from the Federal tax code. This was done because the Federal package contains tax cuts to businesses and to individuals. Tax cuts are said to cost the government of Oregon money.

However, Oregon has a two-year budget processes in which they project the amount of tax dollars that the state will receive. The legislature, and the governor, then makes spending plans based on the projection. They do not make plans on spending the based on how much actually comes in. The result is that there is a “shortfall” which is the amount of money they are projected to not receive. At no point in the budget process do they actually spend real money.

At no point in the process do they make any real cuts or spending adjustments either. It is all based on projections of what they think will wind up in the state coffers or not wind up there. Therefore the only way for them to keep the budget balanced is to cut services, or raise taxes and fees. A federal tax cut for business is good for the business. They get to stay open, pay employees, pay state, federal, local taxes and fees.

But the budget “projection” shows a shortfall in state collections, can’t have that, resulting in the raising in fees at the local and state level. Explaining why the state took the action that they did. An action that both the governor said was to balance the budget and keep schools solvent, schools that gobble up piles of money and fail to educate the children in their care.

So Average taxpayer, making forty grand or less at a job that will not give you a raise this year. No tax relief for you because the state is unwilling to run heir budget process based on real money.

Sherman

The Effects of Going Green.

Five years ago the Governor of Oregon touted green industries and environmental ideas as the wave of the future. Since this Blog is about the effects that laws, and the political ideas that spawn them, have on us all . I decided to point our a little known fact.

The more that the state of Oregon chases “Green” companies, “Green” building and the sacred cow of “Sustainability”. The higher the state’s unemployment gets, the less is manufactured, and the less money that government makes.

In five years of going “Green”, the average wage in Oregon has fell from forty eight thousand a year to forty thousand a year. In the same period the unemployment rate has risen to 9.1 percent.

Proof that going “green” has cost people their jobs or forced people to take lesser paying jobs. This in turn costs the state government, and retailers money. Never fear governor has a plan.

Raise taxes, raise fees, and invent new fees to rise. This will have the effect of the few “green” manufactures removing to a state that is more business friendly. This is how Oregon lost bio-fuel companies, and manufacturing to other states and countries.

Sherman

Oregon Governor Revokes Part of The US Constitution

It appears that our current governor wants to place a price tag on your freedom of movement.
The Oregon governor, a democrat, has passed on to the Oregon legislature a most ominous idea. He wants this idea to become law. With nary a whimper from the ACLU or any of the alleged personal rights advocates. What is this heinous idea?

The governor wants every automobile to have a GPS device installed in it, either at the factory or as an after market device. This device would then “talk” to the fuel pump at the gas station and you could receive gas for your car, as well as pay a per mile tax for using the public road. Seems like a good idea fro making money.

However, this device could be used to deny you the fuel that you need, place you on unannounced fuel ration, and then also allow the government to confiscate your private car. No way to work because you do not live where there is public transportation. Or because public transportation does not run at the hours your need in order to get to work.

The US Constitution, and subsequently the Oregon Constitution allow for freedom of movement. The governor’s idea is to place a price tag on the freedom that we all have right to via the US Constitution. In addition it prevents people that live in rural parts of the state form buying goods where they want, prevents competition in the private sector, limits commerce to trains, drives up ambulance costs, and ultimately will cause the death of completely innocent people. Because they can not afford the per mile charge,

The state of Oregon already receives fuel tax making a mileage tax unneeded. If you think that the government will not rise the per mileage tax to any number that they want, remember in 1955 Washington State citizens were told that the sales tax would never need to go higher than 3 percent. Fifty-three years later the sales tax is 8.3 percent in most places, yet another example of how government lies to us all.

What other freedom will he want to sell next, and to whom?

Sherman

Pending Doom In Oregon State

Every one likes a raise; at least I haven’t seen anyone turn one down. Oregon is one, of at least two states, that have automatic raises built into their basic wage law. The supporters of this idea point out that people at the bottom are more deserving, then the rest of us, and need the money.

There are a few observations to make about this:

1. Employers cannot always raise prices in order to cover the added cost. More so in an economic climate where they are lowering their prices in order to attract business.

2. The last time the basic wage was raised one hundred people in Portland Oregon found them selves out of a job. Mostly restaurant workers, because the management of the various restaurants decided that they could do with one less shift. A good method of controlling cost without raising prices.

3. This year businesses are looking to lay people off rather than providing wage increases. The question, with the unemployment rate in Oregon at 8.1 percent, is how the State legislature can defend the automatic wage increase. The automatic wage increase puts people out of work.

Since the practice of raising the basic wage was instigated there have been, state wide, one thousand businesses close their doors in the state of Oregon. If the average employment by those one thousand businesses employed ten workers each, then raising the basic wage automatically has cost ten thousand people their jobs.

The final observation is simply this. Entry-level jobs, jobs that require little or no skill, will be given to illegal aliens. These people will take money under the table and then deprive the legal citizen of a job.

In my opinion, this is what happens when legislation is not thought through and then the people in power do things on a purely emotional basis.

Drill For Oil Now!

This is how H.R.6001 would effect us all in both the near and the far term. The house is set to visit this sometime in 2009 and it is a good bill.

About This Legislation:
To rebalance the United States energy portfolio, to increase and utilize the Nation's domestic energy resources and supply, to strengthen energy security and independence, and for other purposes.

Provisions of the bill include:

· Opening the Outer Continental Shelf to responsible energy production, and bringing more oil and natural gas to the American people.

This is all about supply and if we are going to not import oil, propping up less than good governments. We need our own domestic supply.

· Allowing energy development within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which may hold up to 21 billion barrels of oil.

Again this is a supply thing, which we sorely need.

· Allowing new refineries to be built within the United States for the first time in 30 years.

More refineries mean more jobs. Not just to run the refinery but to build them as well supplying the materials needed to build them.

· Supporting the development of Coal-to-Liquids plants.

Also, a good way to supply high-end jobs and making the most out of a resource at the same time.

· Supporting building more nuclear plants, increasing the manufacturing and education base of the industry, and bringing more inexpensive, clean nuclear power onto the electricity grid while reprocessing used fuel for further use.

More jobs, more energy and a good way to return to a viable national economy.

· Providing a three-year production tax credit extension for wind and other renewable energy generation, including solar, efficiency improvements, plug-in hybrid vehicles and befouls.

This makes the purchase affordable to the common person who is really going to pay for all of the above via purchase.

. Investing in Research and Development for the energy needs of tomorrow, including cellulosic ethanol research and further Coal-to-Liquids development.

I think that this iss an excellent long-term idea, which will add jobs for future generations of Americans.

All in all this is a good bill because if creates more jobs that are long term, high wage, and sustainable. Making oil and electric purchase within reach of everyone. Not just a privileged few, not to mention the reemployment of thousands of people.

Your congressman needs to know that they should pass this bill, today!

Main Street U.S.A. Energy Security ActBill # H.R.6001
Original Sponsor:Steve Buyer (R-IN 4th)
Cosponsor Total: 21(last sponsor added 06/11/2008)
21 Republicans

Ending Democracy One State At A Time

In August of 2007 the city council, of Portland Oregon, created a law that demanded the retailers of gasoline cut their product with ethanol and diesel be cut with vegetable oil. Saving the environment was their stated goal.

While this looks good on paper, and it plays well in the press, there are consequences that a lot of us saw coming. Now that the State of Oregon has, as of January of 2008, demanded the same thing here is what we know.

More of the environmental friendly is needed to more the same amount of people and goods the same distance. It costs a dollar a ton to move freight a mile, if using a truck burning regular diesel. It costs a dollar and fifty cents to move the same tom a mile if using bio-diesel. The cost of moving people the same distance, say ten miles one way to work, has the same curve. Increased costs of moving people and freight mean less money spent on other things, and then fed into the fuel tank. People have downsized their movements, saving fuel, which also means less money for road repair.

Democracy, in Oregon, is dead. In order for a republic, using representative democracy, to function correctly clear choices need to be available. Forcing fuel retailers to carry only one type of fuel is the opposite of democracy, it is dictatorship. If Oregon were governed under representative democracy rules then the buying public would be able to choose straight fuel or eco-fuel, like thy can in Michigan or Brazil.

So come to Oregon where the current governor is proud of his eco-dictatorship. A eco-dictatorship that has the highest unemployment rate of the fifty states, much higher than the national average. I bet you can’t wait until the eco-dictatorship comes to the state you live in, raising taxes and destroying your freedom to make informed choices.

Can You Say “Stick It To The Common Man”?

Consider Senate bill S.2991; currently it is on the list of things the Senate wants to discuss. From the standpoint of being able to afford food, going to the doctor, and getting to work this a a bad bill. While it is upfront in what it is all about, it will increase the cost of living nation wide. Nothing in this bill will assist common folks in their lives. What it does do is force a shift in money from those who are not making ends meet, to large corporations who don’t need it.

The provisions are in the bill are:

(1) Deny major integrated oil companies a tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production of oil, gas, or primary products thereof.

This would include all producers of vehicle fuel, as there are no minor energy producers, the minor producers all went out of business in the mid eighties. So no oil company would be given a break for using domestic oil. There is a big oil filed coming in the Dakotas and another one in east Texas. This bill would make domestic crude the same price as foreign crude, hardly an incentive to get us off the OPEC cartel nipple. The result of this provision is the permanent increase in the wholesale cost of crude oil, resulting in an increase at the pump. Not just for private vehicles but for all vehicles and you will pay more for food, doctor office visits, going to work and so on.

(2) Conform tax treatment of foreign oil and gas extraction income and foreign oil related income for purposes of the foreign tax credit.

This sounds like a good idea but there is a rock in this provision. With this provision in place Congress could make foreign oil exploration a higher cost that domestic oil exploration. Good idea, right? Wrong this provision will shut down domestic oil exploration while doing away with competition.

(3) Impose a windfall profits tax on major integrated oil.

A tax for selling a comedy? If we don’t want the oil companies to make record profits then we should have the freedom to buy less. All this does is increase the price of the pump, which affects the price of everything else, and then increases the cost of living nation wide. Oil companies will pass this tax along to the consumer because it becomes a part of the cost of doing business.

(4) Establish an Energy Independence and Security Trust Fund funded by revenues raised by the tax provisions of this Act to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign and unsustainable energy sources and reduce the risks of global warming.

Another layer of government imposed upon the American people, staffed with persons that cannot get a job doing anything else. If we want to be energery independent then lower the taxes on domestic crude oil an increase taxes on foreign crude oil.

Other provisions:
Includes the Petroleum Consumer Price Gouging Protection Act, which would make price gouging a federal crime, punishable by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

No retailer should be told the Congress of the United States of America, how much they can charge for what they sell. Doing so ensures that the price at the pump, even for alternative fuels, will always be high. This simply disallows for competition and increases the cost of living for every one. Poorer people get the shaft, again.

Suspending of filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until December 31, 2008.

This reserve needs to be a full as possible in order for our military to have the fuel that the need, to the job that they do. This provision, in fact, undercuts our national security and provides no relief at the pump for anyone.

Incorporated into this legislation is the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2008 or NOPEC, which would effectively allow the United States to sue OPEC for manipulating oil prices.

OPEC has always manipulated the price of crude oil, suing them will not make the price come down. What makes the price come down is, for taxes on foreign crude to raise and then the price of domestic crude will be cheaper.

In my opinion this is a bad bill that prevents the common person form placing any money in savings or setting aside monies for retirement

Tell the original sponsor that this is a bad bill, which will hinder the economy, and your choices in fuel procurement. Freedom should be first not subsidizing a competitor to fossil fuels.

Consumer-First Energy Act of 2008Bill # S.2991

Original Sponsor:Harry Reid (D-NV)
Cosponsor Total: 25(last sponsor added 06/04/2008) 24 Democrats 1 Independents

Government Figures To Take Your Next Raise.

The Governor of Oregon is a lot of things, has been called a lot of things, will be called a lot of other things, but apparent intelligence does not seem to be one of the things he is called lately.

Having taking Oregon down the mythic “humans cause global warming” road, he now takes a “government confiscates your raise" detour. He has sent to the mambe pambe Oregon legislature a method to raise money for “road projects. Proclaiming himself to be the Oregon answer to FDR, something he is never going to be, our “great” governor has decided to hurt as many people as possible.

The method he is using is two fold, first he ignores the fact that Oregon already gets money to repair and build road with. The FEDS pay Oregon money to maintain and upgrade National highways, including Interstate 5, and every time you purchase fuel for your truck or car the state of Oregon gets money. Second he ignores that fully half of the road money Oregon spends on road repair goes for anything but roads. Parks, bike paths, public light rail, public bus systems, but not roads because bike paths state wide move .5 percent of the population. That is one half of one percent state wide and only for nine months of the year.

At no point is the money spent on “roads” ever qualified before the public, so the public does not know that Oregon wastes money like there is no tomorrow.

His proposal is to raise the taxes, or fees, on automotive and heavy truck licenses plates, driver’s licenses, registrations and a new fee. We remind you all that Department of Ecological Quality (DEQ) inspections are a scam designed to make the State of Oregon money.

The fee proposal, in money is as follows, notice the new fee:

• Increasing the motor vehicle registration fee from $27 to $81 year to raise an additional $308 million
• Increase the motor vehicle title fee from $55 to $110 a year to raise an additional $100 million.
• Creating a $100 first-time title fee to raise $33 million.
• Increasing the state gas tax from 24 cents to 26 cents per gallon to raised an additional $58 million.
  
  Our governor’s reasoning is that the best thing to do, to help the economy, is to spend money. Spend money building and repairing roads that should have been maintained already. Since the maintenance money has been already spent on non-road things, the governor has decided that the State needs more money. Notice he is not advocating for more thrift in spending or even accountability in spending.
  
  What the effect of all this will be is that the people, the ones the governor wants to put to work, will not be able to get to work because they cannot afford the transportation. Busses and trains you see do not go to road projects. Did we mention that the “unforeseen consequences” is Oregon will have a plethora of unregistered, un-inspected, unlicensed autos and trucks, driven by an equal number of unlicensed drivers?
  
  Heaven forbid that once the “common man” gets a raise they can stick the money in savings, pay down debt, buy a newer car, purchase better health insurance, take the wife and kiddies out to a “real” restaurant. Oh no we need more “transportation” repair and projects. When is the last time the governor actually road the Portland light rail during rush hour? No, better spend money building and repairing roads while denying workers the ability to get to work.
  
  And the people in politics say we never see it coming, indeed!
  
  Egor

Cost Of Living As Relates To Government.

Every elected official I know of is worried about the cost of living. The middle class is said to be the hardest hit, yet the middle class has more available income than the lower class does.

Part of the high cost of living, in any area of the United States, is directly related to the fees government charges for nearly every thing. Run up the price of water, sewer, garbage collection, and business licenses. The price of everything goes up and, according to some; elected persons are caught by surprise.

How can this be? Three counties in Oregon have just voted to increase property taxes by twelve dollars a month. This means that every business will raise the price of everything accordingly. Landlords will raise rent prices, forcing business owners to raise prices of everything that they sell. It drives up the cost of food, cars, insurance, transportation, utilities everything does mean everything.

The much storied, harried, middle class is not going to grumble much about the increase in their property taxes. They will grumble some about the price of a candy bar, or sofa, increasing by two percent. The lower class has no recourse but to cut their spending. They cannot pay the additional cost of goods, like food or healthcare, so they drop their health insurance and then purchase less.

The result, since there are more lower income people than middle, or higher income people, is business go out of business. Unemployment increases; commerce halts, and elected persons increase the cost of services to counter a loss of income.

A viscous cycle that feeds the cost of living and directly forces the lower income families do go without. The new administration has given no indication that they care about the working poor. On the contrary, they are worried about the middleclass. After January twentieth becomes history the working poor will be forgotten.

Government accounts for ten percent of the cost of living and I cannot find a single elected person that really cares. Raising the price of goods and services makes sense in good economic times but make no sense at the present time.

What would happen if government froze their payroll or put a cap on income when money becomes tight? The cost of living would become static or drop. How would that be bad?
Egor

What Are We Doing?

As the topic of this blog indicates, this blog is about how the decisions that elected officials make effect us all. While they may mean well, and most have genuine motives, mostly they hurt us all. Sometimes it is the non actions they they have and at other times it is the actions that they take.

So we will explain how the "pending doom" of the actions of elected officials will hinder, or further, Independence and freedom.

Later.

Egor