NTU Report: Other Republicans would increase spending by billions
According to a report released Tuesday by the National Taxpayers Union, Texas Congressman Ron Paul is the only remaining presidential candidate who proposes net spending cuts.
According to the report, Congressman Paul’s proposals would cut government spending by over $150 billion, a conservative estimate of the spending reductions Dr. Paul has proposed. The report concludes that the other remaining Republican candidates, Mitt Romney, John McCain and Mike Huckabee, have proposed spending increases of $19.5 billion, $6.9 billion and $54 billion respectively.
“It should come as no surprise that when you crunch the numbers Ron Paul is the only Republican who would actually shrink the size and cost of the federal government,” said Ron Paul campaign economic advisor Don Luskin. “Romney, McCain and Huckabee don’t hold a candle to Ron Paul – the only true fiscal conservative running for President.”
In ten terms in Congress, Ron Paul has never voted for a tax increase or for an unbalanced budget.
www.ronpaul2008.com
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Why should taxpayers fund closed primaries?
By Larry Reisman (Contact)
Thursday, January 24, 2008
BOCA RATON — I didn’t bother to ask how I got a front-row aisle seat in the media room for Thursday night’s GOP presidential debate at Florida Atlantic University, just in front of the columnist who generates the single most reader complaints for me: Maureen Dowd.
It’s clear the center of American political debate was here Thursday — Ron Paul fans lining Glades Road to New York City firefighters blasting Rudy Giuliani on the entryway to campus.
There were numerous TV satellite trucks, hordes of TV cameras and makeshift studios. Even NBC News anchor Brian Williams spent a few minutes on the other side of an interview while technicians set up the chilly debate hall.
Despite the fact the national parties claim they will severely punish Florida delegates because the state will hold its primary too early — Tuesday — the debate and primary have been made into big deals.
It’s too soon to tell whether that’s just media hype. Only 78 percent of Florida’s 10.2 million registered voters have an opportunity to tap a candidate Tuesday — the other 22 percent are not affiliated with the Republicans or Democrats.
Those independents — greenies, libertarians, reformers and more — will play a key role in the general election. Why? Even though there are more that 300,000 registered Democrats than Republicans, there are 2.2 million independents.
Unfortunately, they won’t have a say in who the final nominee is and — to add insult to injury — they’ll help pay the tens of millions of dollars counties will pay to hold the primary.
“Basically, each county is running an election for the parties,” noted Vicki Davis, Martin County’s supervisor of elections, who budgeted $145,640 for the election.
This is exactly the kind of unfunded mandate county officials are talking about when they complain about Legislature-imposed caps on local government spending. It was the Legislature, after all, that called the election.
In the case of Tuesday’s primary — based on the Democratic Party’s pledge not to seat delegates — counties will spend tens of millions of dollars for the benefit of only 37.5 percent of registered voters. Fiscal responsibility?
It’s about as wacky a system as the one in Washington state. Two decades ago, Washingtonians passed a referendum to hold and fund presidential primaries. Democratic leaders, though, still do their own thing. They select their delegates through caucuses while others vote.
“The interesting thing will be if party activists who attend the caucuses pick one candidate but the Democratic primary voters pick another,” said Kate Riley, an editorial writer for The Seattle Times. “It could happen. In 2000, only 60,000 attended the caucuses, while another 1.3 million voted in the primary (which reportedly cost $9.7 million).”
It begs the question of why pay for primaries of private organizations — some journalists refer to them as country clubs — anyway?
Publicly run primaries, said Kevin Wagner, assistant professor of political science at FAU, began to ensure the selection process was done in the “best interest of the public.” Nationwide, proponents of publicly run primaries say the government can ensure that all party members have access to the selection process.
There are options. This was the first year, for example, that South Carolina taxpayers have paid for a primary. Many other states, such as Kansas and Missouri, have debated whether to pay for a presidential primary, according to Kay Stimpson, spokeswoman for the National Association of Secretaries of State. These states opted not to, so parties will caucus to select delegates, much like what was done in Iowa.
North Carolina also is frugal. Its primary is May 6, the same time as other primaries for state and local races.
Another potential option — no states do it anymore — is to charge parties to hold primaries, as was done in South Carolina until this year. Given the fact that statehouses are dominated by party faithful, don’t expect this to happen anytime soon.
No matter which option you choose, Florida’s presidential primary (especially if the property tax amendment fails) likely will be a boondoggle in a state that already has financial problems. For 2012, the options ought to be: get the parties to pay for it, or stick it in the budget of the Florida Legislature.
No debate required.
laurence.reisman@scripps.com
Thursday, January 24, 2008
BOCA RATON — I didn’t bother to ask how I got a front-row aisle seat in the media room for Thursday night’s GOP presidential debate at Florida Atlantic University, just in front of the columnist who generates the single most reader complaints for me: Maureen Dowd.
It’s clear the center of American political debate was here Thursday — Ron Paul fans lining Glades Road to New York City firefighters blasting Rudy Giuliani on the entryway to campus.
There were numerous TV satellite trucks, hordes of TV cameras and makeshift studios. Even NBC News anchor Brian Williams spent a few minutes on the other side of an interview while technicians set up the chilly debate hall.
Despite the fact the national parties claim they will severely punish Florida delegates because the state will hold its primary too early — Tuesday — the debate and primary have been made into big deals.
It’s too soon to tell whether that’s just media hype. Only 78 percent of Florida’s 10.2 million registered voters have an opportunity to tap a candidate Tuesday — the other 22 percent are not affiliated with the Republicans or Democrats.
Those independents — greenies, libertarians, reformers and more — will play a key role in the general election. Why? Even though there are more that 300,000 registered Democrats than Republicans, there are 2.2 million independents.
Unfortunately, they won’t have a say in who the final nominee is and — to add insult to injury — they’ll help pay the tens of millions of dollars counties will pay to hold the primary.
“Basically, each county is running an election for the parties,” noted Vicki Davis, Martin County’s supervisor of elections, who budgeted $145,640 for the election.
This is exactly the kind of unfunded mandate county officials are talking about when they complain about Legislature-imposed caps on local government spending. It was the Legislature, after all, that called the election.
In the case of Tuesday’s primary — based on the Democratic Party’s pledge not to seat delegates — counties will spend tens of millions of dollars for the benefit of only 37.5 percent of registered voters. Fiscal responsibility?
It’s about as wacky a system as the one in Washington state. Two decades ago, Washingtonians passed a referendum to hold and fund presidential primaries. Democratic leaders, though, still do their own thing. They select their delegates through caucuses while others vote.
“The interesting thing will be if party activists who attend the caucuses pick one candidate but the Democratic primary voters pick another,” said Kate Riley, an editorial writer for The Seattle Times. “It could happen. In 2000, only 60,000 attended the caucuses, while another 1.3 million voted in the primary (which reportedly cost $9.7 million).”
It begs the question of why pay for primaries of private organizations — some journalists refer to them as country clubs — anyway?
Publicly run primaries, said Kevin Wagner, assistant professor of political science at FAU, began to ensure the selection process was done in the “best interest of the public.” Nationwide, proponents of publicly run primaries say the government can ensure that all party members have access to the selection process.
There are options. This was the first year, for example, that South Carolina taxpayers have paid for a primary. Many other states, such as Kansas and Missouri, have debated whether to pay for a presidential primary, according to Kay Stimpson, spokeswoman for the National Association of Secretaries of State. These states opted not to, so parties will caucus to select delegates, much like what was done in Iowa.
North Carolina also is frugal. Its primary is May 6, the same time as other primaries for state and local races.
Another potential option — no states do it anymore — is to charge parties to hold primaries, as was done in South Carolina until this year. Given the fact that statehouses are dominated by party faithful, don’t expect this to happen anytime soon.
No matter which option you choose, Florida’s presidential primary (especially if the property tax amendment fails) likely will be a boondoggle in a state that already has financial problems. For 2012, the options ought to be: get the parties to pay for it, or stick it in the budget of the Florida Legislature.
No debate required.
laurence.reisman@scripps.com
Friday, January 18, 2008
Cal Thomas speaks out on Ron Paul
WHERE ARE WE AFTER THE MICHIGAN PRIMARY AND JUST BEFORE SOUTH CAROLINA THIS WEEKEND? MITT ROMNEY WON IN MICHIGAN, PARTLY BECAUSE HE PROMISED A $20 BILLION AID PACKAGE FOR THE AUTO INDUSTRY. IS THAT WHAT A REPUBLICAN SHOULD DO – BAILOUT A PRIVATE INDUSTRY RATHER THAN ENDORSE CAPITALISM, FREE ENTERPRISE AND ENCOURAGE DETROIT TO BUILD THE KINDS OF CARS PEOPLE WANT?
YES, THE GOVERNMENT LOANED CHRYSLER MONEY, BUT THEY PAID IT BACK. BIG DIFFERENCE.
MIKE HUCKABEE ALSO SOUNDS LIKE A BIG GOVERNMENT REPUBLICAN. THE ONLY ONE BEHAVING LIKE A REAL REPUBLICAN IS RON PAUL, WHO ACTUALLY WANTS TO CUT SPENDING AND GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF OUR LIVES. HE WON’T WIN THE NOMINATION BECAUSE TOO MANY REPUBLICANS ARE INTO HANDOUTS AND REDISTRIBUTION, JUST LIKE DEMOCRATS.
IT’S A SAD POLITICAL SEASON IF YOU ARE A CONSERVATIVE. ALL OF THE CANDIDATES ARE DEFECTIVE, SOME SERIOUSLY SO, AND THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HAVE THE MOST DEFECTS, BUT RIGHT NOW – WITH THE MEDIA’S HELP – THEY APPEAR POISED TO WIN IN NOVEMBER. MAYBE A MIRACLE WILL HAPPEN AND REPUBLICANS WILL START BEHAVING LIKE REPUBLICANS AGAIN. IN KANSAS CITY, I’M CAL THOMAS.WHERE ARE WE AFTER THE MICHIGAN PRIMARY AND JUST BEFORE SOUTH CAROLINA THIS WEEKEND? MITT ROMNEY WON IN MICHIGAN, PARTLY BECAUSE HE PROMISED A $20 BILLION AID PACKAGE FOR THE AUTO INDUSTRY. IS THAT WHAT A REPUBLICAN SHOULD DO – BAILOUT A PRIVATE INDUSTRY RATHER THAN ENDORSE CAPITALISM, FREE ENTERPRISE AND ENCOURAGE DETROIT TO BUILD THE KINDS OF CARS PEOPLE WANT?
YES, THE GOVERNMENT LOANED CHRYSLER MONEY, BUT THEY PAID IT BACK. BIG DIFFERENCE.
MIKE HUCKABEE ALSO SOUNDS LIKE A BIG GOVERNMENT REPUBLICAN. THE ONLY ONE BEHAVING LIKE A REAL REPUBLICAN IS RON PAUL, WHO ACTUALLY WANTS TO CUT SPENDING AND GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF OUR LIVES. HE WON’T WIN THE NOMINATION BECAUSE TOO MANY REPUBLICANS ARE INTO HANDOUTS AND REDISTRIBUTION, JUST LIKE DEMOCRATS.
IT’S A SAD POLITICAL SEASON IF YOU ARE A CONSERVATIVE. ALL OF THE CANDIDATES ARE DEFECTIVE, SOME SERIOUSLY SO, AND THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HAVE THE MOST DEFECTS, BUT RIGHT NOW – WITH THE MEDIA’S HELP – THEY APPEAR POISED TO WIN IN NOVEMBER. MAYBE A MIRACLE WILL HAPPEN AND REPUBLICANS WILL START BEHAVING LIKE REPUBLICANS AGAIN. IN KANSAS CITY, I’M CAL THOMAS.
www.calthomas.com
YES, THE GOVERNMENT LOANED CHRYSLER MONEY, BUT THEY PAID IT BACK. BIG DIFFERENCE.
MIKE HUCKABEE ALSO SOUNDS LIKE A BIG GOVERNMENT REPUBLICAN. THE ONLY ONE BEHAVING LIKE A REAL REPUBLICAN IS RON PAUL, WHO ACTUALLY WANTS TO CUT SPENDING AND GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF OUR LIVES. HE WON’T WIN THE NOMINATION BECAUSE TOO MANY REPUBLICANS ARE INTO HANDOUTS AND REDISTRIBUTION, JUST LIKE DEMOCRATS.
IT’S A SAD POLITICAL SEASON IF YOU ARE A CONSERVATIVE. ALL OF THE CANDIDATES ARE DEFECTIVE, SOME SERIOUSLY SO, AND THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HAVE THE MOST DEFECTS, BUT RIGHT NOW – WITH THE MEDIA’S HELP – THEY APPEAR POISED TO WIN IN NOVEMBER. MAYBE A MIRACLE WILL HAPPEN AND REPUBLICANS WILL START BEHAVING LIKE REPUBLICANS AGAIN. IN KANSAS CITY, I’M CAL THOMAS.WHERE ARE WE AFTER THE MICHIGAN PRIMARY AND JUST BEFORE SOUTH CAROLINA THIS WEEKEND? MITT ROMNEY WON IN MICHIGAN, PARTLY BECAUSE HE PROMISED A $20 BILLION AID PACKAGE FOR THE AUTO INDUSTRY. IS THAT WHAT A REPUBLICAN SHOULD DO – BAILOUT A PRIVATE INDUSTRY RATHER THAN ENDORSE CAPITALISM, FREE ENTERPRISE AND ENCOURAGE DETROIT TO BUILD THE KINDS OF CARS PEOPLE WANT?
YES, THE GOVERNMENT LOANED CHRYSLER MONEY, BUT THEY PAID IT BACK. BIG DIFFERENCE.
MIKE HUCKABEE ALSO SOUNDS LIKE A BIG GOVERNMENT REPUBLICAN. THE ONLY ONE BEHAVING LIKE A REAL REPUBLICAN IS RON PAUL, WHO ACTUALLY WANTS TO CUT SPENDING AND GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF OUR LIVES. HE WON’T WIN THE NOMINATION BECAUSE TOO MANY REPUBLICANS ARE INTO HANDOUTS AND REDISTRIBUTION, JUST LIKE DEMOCRATS.
IT’S A SAD POLITICAL SEASON IF YOU ARE A CONSERVATIVE. ALL OF THE CANDIDATES ARE DEFECTIVE, SOME SERIOUSLY SO, AND THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HAVE THE MOST DEFECTS, BUT RIGHT NOW – WITH THE MEDIA’S HELP – THEY APPEAR POISED TO WIN IN NOVEMBER. MAYBE A MIRACLE WILL HAPPEN AND REPUBLICANS WILL START BEHAVING LIKE REPUBLICANS AGAIN. IN KANSAS CITY, I’M CAL THOMAS.
www.calthomas.com
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Allegheny county meeting Tuesday
We will be meeting on Tuesday the 15th at Panera Bread on McKnight rd. The meeting runs from 7p-9p. If you have any suggestions please come to the meeting. We are trying to make it easy for everyone. I hope to see you there. If you have any questions please call me at 412-826-0516 or email me at jmurphpitt@hotmail.com.
Joe Murphy
Chairman
Joe Murphy
Chairman
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Denies Knowledge of Bonus Checks for State Employees’ Anti-Nader Work
January 8th, 2008
See this Pennsylvania news story, in which Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese denies knowing about bonuses for Democratic legislative staffers for doing political work. Although this particular newspaper story does not mention what kind of political work was involved, part of the work involved helping with the challenge to Ralph Nader’s petition in 2004.
The news about the scandal is coming at just the right time, as Nader is pressing ahead with his lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee and its alllies for its efforts to keep him off various state ballots in 2004, and also as he is fighting in court to keep his challengers from raiding his bank account.
www.ballot-access.org
See this Pennsylvania news story, in which Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese denies knowing about bonuses for Democratic legislative staffers for doing political work. Although this particular newspaper story does not mention what kind of political work was involved, part of the work involved helping with the challenge to Ralph Nader’s petition in 2004.
The news about the scandal is coming at just the right time, as Nader is pressing ahead with his lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee and its alllies for its efforts to keep him off various state ballots in 2004, and also as he is fighting in court to keep his challengers from raiding his bank account.
www.ballot-access.org
Monday, December 31, 2007
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Issues Helpful Ballot Access Ruling
December 31st, 2007
On December 28, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court construed one particular state law favorably to ballot access, in the case titled In re: Nomination Petition of Paulmier, no. 172 EAL 2007.
The issue was a provision in the Pennsylvania Ethics Act that requires candidates for state and local office to reveal the sources of their income. The act does not apply to federal candidates. The Court ruled that if a candidate files the financial disclosure on time, and the form has an omission or error, the candidate may correct the error later. By contrast, the lower court had tried to keep the candidate off the ballot (the Pennsylvania Supreme Court had ordered him back on to the ballot, but until December 28, had not explained its reasoning).
The particular candidate in this case was Greg Paulmier, a Democrat who was running for Philadelphia city council.
The Court also ruled that in the case of a self-employed candidate, the law doesn’t require him or her to list all the people whom he does business with. It is sufficient for the candidate to reveal the name of his or her business, without trying to list all the customers of that business.
On December 28, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court construed one particular state law favorably to ballot access, in the case titled In re: Nomination Petition of Paulmier, no. 172 EAL 2007.
The issue was a provision in the Pennsylvania Ethics Act that requires candidates for state and local office to reveal the sources of their income. The act does not apply to federal candidates. The Court ruled that if a candidate files the financial disclosure on time, and the form has an omission or error, the candidate may correct the error later. By contrast, the lower court had tried to keep the candidate off the ballot (the Pennsylvania Supreme Court had ordered him back on to the ballot, but until December 28, had not explained its reasoning).
The particular candidate in this case was Greg Paulmier, a Democrat who was running for Philadelphia city council.
The Court also ruled that in the case of a self-employed candidate, the law doesn’t require him or her to list all the people whom he does business with. It is sufficient for the candidate to reveal the name of his or her business, without trying to list all the customers of that business.
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