The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

[5mn_Major]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

The feds do have some serious cutting ahead. But cutting the main means of American strength is stupid. No not the DOD much of which is a holdover from times of economic colonialism or the cold war. But the main way this country will go to battle in the future...business and the quality of our workforce. I'm not much of a union guy either...but it doesn't take much to know that if you gut the payoff for teachers expect less successful schools. And if you cut the quality of education expect the US to get wiped out in future marketplace battles. Even Donald Trump trade embargos won't save us. The GOP is really screwing the pooch on this one.

But frankly I'm happy I'm from Minnesota. Its not perfect...but we have quality govt services that puts us into the top quality of life rankings nationally. Is it worth a modest increase in taxes once a year? You betcha.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

The feds do have some serious cutting ahead.

But frankly I'm happy I'm from Minnesota. Its not perfect...but we have quality govt services that puts us into the top quality of life rankings nationally. Is it worth a modest increase in taxes once a year? You betcha.

A quick Google search reveals you guys are staring at a $6.2 billion dollar deficit. Best of luck with that.

 

[walrus]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

The feds do have some serious cutting ahead.

But frankly I'm happy I'm from Minnesota. Its not perfect...but we have quality govt services that puts us into the top quality of life rankings nationally. Is it worth a modest increase in taxes once a year? You betcha.

Doesn't the Minnesota gov want to go to 14%??

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

A noted conservative speaks on public sector unions:

All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations ... The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for ... officials ... to bind the employer ... The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives ...

-Franklin D. Roosevelt

The rabid wingnut continued:

[a] strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their part to obstruct the operations of government until their demands are satisfied. Such action looking toward the paralysis of government by those who have sworn to support it is unthinkable and intolerable.”

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

A quick Google search reveals you guys are staring at a $6.2 billion dollar deficit. Best of luck with that.

And the Governor just proposed a 25% increase in spending next biennium. Plus a tax hike that would make even Kepler blush. If it passes (and it won't), Minnesota would have a top marginal rate 25% higher than the next highest state.

If he replaces "25% increase" with "1-3% reduction" and then cuts his tax increase in half, I'm all for it. I think.

I'm actually reading through his entire budget proposal. All of it. I read through the tax chapter last night. Grammar and punctuation aside ("Minnesotan's" was used as a plural), the funniest part of it was he proposed removing the tax on ringtones.

 

[walrus]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

, the funniest part of it was he proposed removing the tax on ringtones.

Awesome, the dumbasses that buy ringtones would never know if you put the tax at eleventy billion, they'd still buy that crap

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Doesn't the Minnesota gov want to go to 14%??

As far as wasted services...start with the fed's DOD.

The key to a successful state is the right model. Minnesota has never gone with penny pinching/crappy services model...we'd get waxed by the sunbelt. The state's strategy has consistently paid off and will do so going forward.

 

[Tundra]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

A quick Google search reveals you guys are staring at a $6.2 billion dollar deficit. Best of luck with that.

Ah only if you guys had oil like us and North Dakota. Our budget deficit of $1.5 billion/$1.7billion for 2009/10 has magically disappeared with higher oil prices. Even though our state/city spending is at an all time high.

It's clear no one thinks they are getting over paid so the only solution is cuts for everyone. education, protection, transportation (40/20/30) is 90%+ of the budget so you can't label them as non-discretionary. I think our city budget for K-12th graders is $800million while everything else is $500million or so.

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=711

Wisconsin $1.8 billion 12.8%
Minnesota $3.9 billion 24.5%
Illinois $15.0 billion 44.9%
California* $25.4 billion 29.3%

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

As far as wasted services...start with the fed's DOD.

The key to a successful state is the right model. Minnesota has never gone with penny pinching/crappy services model...we'd get waxed by the sunbelt. The state's strategy has consistently paid off and will do so going forward.

Right, but I'd argue, with your $6 billion deficit, that you certainly haven't quite hit upon that "right model".

Point being, at some stage the bill is going to come due. Keep whistling around it if you like.

 

[Tundra]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Right, but I'd argue, with your $6 billion deficit, that you certainly haven't quite hit upon that "right model".

Point being, at some stage the bill is going to come due. Keep whistling around it if you like.

Most states have balanced budget, although some states are kicking the can down the line by too much borrowing (Like California is doing). The number was around $2trillion state/local bonds floating around that I read somewhere. I would imagine state/local will be cut off from borrowing via credit downgrades, higher interest rates much faster than any federal gov.

our state tapped into the reserve fund several times to balance the budget and in 2008 they put $2billion into it. Even our legislature couldn't spend it fast enough when oil went over $100/barrel ... they tried, really tried by increasing the state budget 20%+.

Now governor Parnell wants to LOWER oil taxes since the $3billion deficit forecast of 2009/2010 is a distant memory and the oil companies making record profits up here need tax breaks: supposedly to create more jobs. (for the unemployed immigrants from lower 48)

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=711

Every state save Vermont has some sort of balanced-budget law.

So the shortfalls for 2009 and 2010 and most of the shortfalls for 2011 � which totaled over $430 billion combined � have already been closed through a combination of spending cuts, withdrawals from reserves, revenue increases, and use of federal stimulus dollars. Similarly, the shortfalls projected for 2012 will be closed when states adopt their budgets.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Anyone watching Rachel Maddow? I think she's going to start crying. The sky is falling. VAST RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY!!!!

 

[Foxton]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Anyone watching Rachel Maddow? I think she's going to start crying. The sky is falling. VAST RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY!!!!

Is she pulling a John Stewart and impersonating Glenn Beck?

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Is she pulling a John Stewart and impersonating Glenn Beck?

Possibly. I've only recently started watching her show. I don't think she could reach that level of craziness, even if she made it her life's goal.

 

[Sloe Gin]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

I am a teacher, you are not only wrong you are ignorant. Please stop pretending you have any knowledge on any subject pertaining to this and go back into whatever hole you slink out of. I am sick of people like you who talk out of their *** and dont even have the IQ to point where their *** is.

But hey, prove me wrong, you do it, you teach and tell me that they are overpaid, and that it is the easiest job in the world. Put your money where your mouth is internet tough guy!

I was a teacher in North Dakota. I taught in the private sector. I didn't rely on the government to supply me with a pension or any benefits. I didn't enjoy it, but I did it because I was paid to do it. Now, unlike your ugly ***, I had to work very hard for my money. But hey, obviously I don't know what I'm talking about because I've never had to teach. Oh no.

You chose to be a teacher. If it's too hard for you, find a different job. Don't you dare sit here and complain about your job and how you don't get enough benefits. You chose to do a job; **** and get your *** back in the classroom.

 

[Handyman]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

I didnt complain, but if someone tried to take away my right to negotiate my contract your ****ed right I would walk out. I may not be pro union, but that doesn't mean the Governor should have the right to tell me I will take what I am given and like it. That seems rather anti-capitalist dontcha think?

There was no choice here, they have every right to not bend over and take it. But I am sure you would if you were getting the shaft...you would stand there and say "thank you sir may I have another" and not be mad in the least bit.

The union is the one trying to work out a deal and is being rebuffed, but yet they should just accept it and move on? Sorry but no that is ridiculous.

JMHO.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

I didnt complain, but if someone tried to take away my right to negotiate my contract your ****ed right I would walk out. I may not be pro union, but that doesn't mean the Governor should have the right to tell me I will take what I am given and like it. That seems rather anti-capitalist dontcha think?

Uh, what? There's a lot of complaints with the bill, but this is the first time I've heard that one.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

I didnt complain, but if someone tried to take away my right to negotiate my contract your ****ed right I would walk out. I may not be pro union, but that doesn't mean the Governor should have the right to tell me I will take what I am given and like it. That seems rather anti-capitalist dontcha think?

There was no choice here, they have every right to not bend over and take it. But I am sure you would if you were getting the shaft...you would stand there and say "thank you sir may I have another" and not be mad in the least bit.

The union is the one trying to work out a deal and is being rebuffed, but yet they should just accept it and move on? Sorry but no that is ridiculous.

JMHO.

Hey, we're all suffering. I got 20% of my gross pay cut while still having to pay 50% of my health insurance premiums and saving 16%+ for retirement because I was on furlough fridays for a year. I considered myself lucky because I still had a job.

Thankfully I'm back full time and in a stable situation.

I get them protesting the CBA thing, but the pay and benefits whining needs to stop. Although, I still don't think I've gotten the real explanation of the whole CBA mess. Both sides are spinning it.

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

The general idea behind the elimination of some of the collective bargaining rights is that if they aren't taken away, the 5.8% pension contribution and the 12% health care savings will be lost as the unions just bargain for more things to replace those with.

Admittedly not the greatest argument I've ever heard, and I think it would have been smarter politically to separate the two, at least initially, but c'est la vie.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Apparently someone is walking through the crowds with a sign that reads, "I BLAME FAVRE!"

 

[bronconick]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

This whole thing falls apart when he exempts the firefighters and police officers. They're literally about the only people working in government that you *don't* want striking as a union and protecting their crappy workers.

Yeah, that's not an obvious effort to punish those who don't support your Republican party.