Coralville Courier

Loebsack fails 2nd District voters - AGAIN

By Mike Thayer

Liberal Dave "Do Nothing" Loebshack did it again, he voted how Speaker Nancy Pelosi wanted him to.  Loebshack went partyline parrot and voted yes on HR 2454 - the American Clean Energy and Security Act - more accurately called an energy tax.

Commonly referred to as the 'Cap and Trade' bill, the measure sets a cap on the total amount of carbon that can be emitted, forcing companies to buy permits to emit CO2. The cap gets cranked down over time to reduce total carbon emissions.  The corporate costs of buying these expensive permits will be passed to consumers.

The bill plays on the fear and myth of human caused global warming and Loebshack is playing the role of stooge in a liberal grab for more power and control over our lives.  There's nothing 'clean' about this bill, it's a scam, a shameless tax hike - and Loebshack voted for it.

Does Dave even KNOW how to think for himself?

Never mind that the earth's temperatures started flat-lining in 2001 and our planet has entered into a cooling period huh Dave?

Never mind that the number of scientists skeptical of human caused global warming (HCGW) is swelling, a number over 700 - or 13 times the scientists who wrote the supposed HCGW consensus. 

According to the Heritage Foundation, the carbon tax bill will cost the economy $161 billion in 2020, which is $1,870 for a family of four.   The year 2020 is used as a benchmark of sorts, as the bulk of the bill's restrictions kick in AFTER 2020.  The extra energy costs to a family of four rises to $6,800 by 2035.

There's no way Loebshack read this bill.  The base bill is 1200 pages long, was only made available this last week, receiving 'consideration' with just three hours of general debate.  To complicate matters further, another 309 pages of amendments were added on Friday morning, the day of the vote.  There's no way Loebshack read this bill and effectively considered the bill's impact to Iowans. 

Try reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged (1000 pages) in less than four days while maintaining your regular schedule, unexpected things come up, distractions occur and see just how much of that book you DON'T get read.  Oh, and read the 509 page sequel the morning your book report is due.  What kind of grade do you think you'd get?

In the House Energy Committee, Republicans offered three amendments before the bill went to the floor: one to suspend the program if gas hit $5 a gallon; one to suspend the program if electricity prices rose 10% over 2009; and one to suspend the program if unemployment rates hit 15%. Democrats defeated all of them.  Loebshack helped kill common sense.

Loebshack doesn't know if this bill is going to hurt 2nd District farmers - but he voted yes in support of it anyway.

Loebshack doesn't know if this bill is going to hurt small businesses in the 2nd District - but he voted yes in support of it anyway.

Loebshack doesn't know just how much the utility bills for voters in the 2nd District are going to skyrocket - but he voted yes anyway.

Loebshack seems to forget that he is an employee of the people.  He has voted with a majority of his Democratic colleagues 96.5% of the time during the current Congress according to the Washington Post voting record database.   He wasn't sent to Washington to be a parrot, he was sent to there to represent the people of Iowa's 2nd District.  His voting record is anything but properly representing the good people of southeast Iowa.

Loebshack has failed 2nd District voters - AGAIN!

Write the failing Congressman and tell him he screwed up:  http://loebsack.house.gov/contactform/

Where is Obama's 'Hope & Change' for the economy?

Back in January, Obama's top economic advisers released a *report*, telling us that unemployment would remain at 8% or below through this year if Obama's mammoth $787 economic stimulus plan were passed.  Obama pushed that 8% figure hard in seeking congressional approval.  In pitching his plan Obama warned, "if we don’t take dramatic action as soon as possible....."   Yada, yada, yada, Obama got the Congressional approval he was seeking and so the raping of taxpayers a.k.a. 'Economic Stimulus' went into effect in February.

So what has Obama's unprecendented spending and growth of government control given us?

Unemployment rate:  The national unemployment rate hit 9.4 percent last week, a 25-year high. 

How 'bout that 8% line of crap huh?

More White House spin:  The president declared his stimulus plan had already *saved* or created at least 150,000 jobs and announced he would *save* or create an additional 600,000 jobs this summer.

Ladies and gentlemen *saving* jobs is sheer fabrication.  There is no way to measure a so-called *saved* job.  Obama is playing games with you.  Doubt it?  Please refer to the current national unemployment rate.

No office, no goverment department measures Obama's mythical "jobs saved."  The Labor Department doesn't do it, neither does the Treasury, nor does the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  

Since the Democrat lead Congress approved Obama's taxpayer raping stimulus, our economy has lost nearly 1.6 million jobs.  Obama says he *saved* jobs to distract you from remembering that he promised the unemployment rate would stay under 8% if his plan was passed.  That's the only kind of 'Hope' Obama offers, he HOPES your memory is short!

Obama afflicted far more damage to the national debt and U.S. economy in his first 100 days in office, compared to what George W. Bush did in two whole terms (well, claims of what Bush did anyway).

The data is in, Obama's stimulus plan is failing - miserably.  Now keep in mind that liberals will continue to whine in his defense and say that it's still all George Bush's fault, but that is nothing more than denial of reality.

We're four months into this folks, Obama's plan was engaged in February.  Billions of taxpayer dollars have supposedly been pumped into our economy.  It's his agenda in play, he owns this economy.  Obama promised us new jobs and an unemployment rate no higher than 8%.  Where are those new jobs and why is the unemployment rate at 9.4%?  Either Obama lied or has just badly mismanaged/meddled with the economy.  Either one is bad.

Why should we believe Obama's promise of creating 600,000 new jobs this summer?

The only thing Obama has done successfully is tax you.  Is this the kind of 'Hope & Change' you voted for? 

King Obama bailout of General Motors fails, company files for bankruptcy anyway

King Obama grabbed more TV time today to announce how he doesn't *want* (cough) to run General Motors, but laid out plans on he's going to run General Motors.  As you've heard and read before how I and others are now calling General Motors - Government Motors - let's keep in mind that King Obama has never run any kind of business in his life, let alone a global corporation.

In his little TV announcement (look at me!), Obama said there are going to be plant closings, there are going to be further job losses, that more dealerships are going to be closed.

If Obama would have *allowed* GM to go into bankruptcy months ago (no, they're too big to fail), perhaps he could have saved the American taxpayer about $30 billion.  Prolonging what our former free market society is/was set up to fix (failure), Obama prolonged the pain and the expense.

King Obama has created a bigger mess.  On the one hand he claims he doesn't want to run General Motors (or Chrysler), while on the other he spells out how those companies are going to be run.  He has spelled out how those companies are now going to move forward by building Yugo style cars.  Translation:  Your choice in the kind of car you buy from GM or Chrysler will soon be over.

King Obama clearly came into office with an agenda based in control.  It's a pure socialist agenda, and so far there's nothing stopping him from implementing it.  GM and Chrysler weren't too big to fail, that was just a line you were fed.  Despite an overwhelming number of taxpayer objections, Obama's government gave automakers bailout money with strings attached for a reason.  Control.

Don't buy the line that Obama doesn't want to run a car company.  If that rhetoric were even remotely true, then why does Obama eagerly run to the camera to make auto announcements?  Why doesn't the company CEO make the headline announcements?

Obama fired GM's CEO back in March.  Obama appointed a "Car Czar".  Obama's automotive task force - not a bankruptcy court - is now busy hand picking a new board of directors for Government Motors. There is a reason that Obama & Company (who have never run a business, let alone a car company) rejected GM's restructuring plan back in March.  It's all about control.

Those aren't the moves of a man who 'will not interfere with or exert control over day-to-day company operations.'

Striving for more TV time, Obama stated the following in today's GM takeover announcement:  "I will not pretend the hard times are over.  Difficult days lie ahead.  More jobs will be lost.  More plants will close.  More dealerships will shut their doors, and so will many parts suppliers.  But I want you to know that what you're doing is making a sacrifice for the next generation, a sacrifice you may not have chose to make, but a sacrifice you are nevertheless called to make so that your children and all the -- of our children can grow up in America that still makes things, that still builds cars, that still strives for a better future."

So there you have it folks, as dictated by King Obama, you are being mandated to "sacrifice."  You don't need your money right?  Gone are the days when you bought stock in GM because you WANTED to.

This whole bailout/government takeover thing wasn't necessary folks, but King Obama mandated it.  A Chapter 11 bankruptcy was a tool available months ago, but Obama ignored it.  Instead, Obama funnelled taxpayer money to GM.  Goal?  Pay off a political contributor.  Who?  The United Auto Workers Union.  Who is now in an ownership position and on the board at GM?  The UAW.

Supervisor Sullivan is a danger to taxpayers

Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan thinks throwing money at a problem solves it. 

In his latest edition of "Sullivan's Salvos," Rod complains that the state does not allow the Iowa City Community School District to spend enough money. 

Sullivan wrote:  While I understand the State’s desire to equalize per pupil spending, I think the approach is wrong. We should not penalize local governments who want to exceed State expectations. The proper role of State government is to set MINIMUM expectations, not MAXIMUM outcomes. Why hold people back?

Note how Sullivan plays that old tired trick of trying to muddle one thing into another.  In misleading fashion, he tries to parlay spending into 'expectations.'  Instead of writing, "We should not penalize local governments who want to exceed State expectations," he might as well have written, "We should not penalize local governments who want to spend more money."  Sullivan then tries to muddle things further in toying with the meanings of 'expectations' and 'outcomes.'  If the disingenuous definitions aren't enough, then he plays the emotional guilt card like liberals so typically do with his line of, "Why hold people back?" 

He wants you feeling guilty with a false notion that we're holding students back due to a lack of funds.  He wants you thinking about better student scores and achievements with his misuse of the words 'expectations' and 'outcomes,' but the truth is Sullivan is shamelessly pushing for a bigger pot of cash to spend.  The LAST thing he wants you to do is start asking questions of accountability for the billions of taxpayer dollars that have already been spent in Iowa schools and with some very disappointing results.  

Sullivan wrote:  "The proper role of State government is to set MINIMUM expectations, not MAXIMUM outcomes.  Why hold people back?"

Translation:  "The proper role of State government is to set a minimum bar for how much money is to be spent, districts have to spend AT LEAST 'X' amount of dollars and should not be prevented from spending more.  Why confine school administrators with fiscal responsibility?"  

Sullivan doesn't give a rat's rear end that clear evidence exists, showing how arbitrarily throwing money at our schools has not worked.  More money does NOT equal better student performance.  He doesn't care about that evidence, he doesn't pause and ask questions, to hell with that he just wants more money, your money.  He believes that spending more money per pupil, equates to an automatic improvement per pupil.  That's just not true and I'd get into how money per pupil gets calculated (another misleading statistic) but that's a story for another day.  Side note, Willowwind, a private school in Iowa City has test scores well above ICCSD averages, and does so with a much lower cost per pupil.

If what Sullivan pretends is true actually was, then why have Iowa 8th graders fallen from being ranked #1 in the country in math in 1993, to a ranking of 23 today?  Ladies and gentlemen we've pumped billions of dollars into public education since 1993, but the results just aren't there justifying such an influx in cash.  That money isn't benefitting students, it's benefitting school administrators and that's a problem.  When school superintendents are making over $160,000 a year while student test scores fall - that's a problem! 

That Sullivan advocates even more spending is a problem and why he has become a danger to taxpayers.  He's not being a true leader and asking the tough question such as why we're not getting a much better bang for our buck.  He's not challenging school officials about falling test scores.  No, he just makes a call for more of your money! 

Sullivan's appetite for your money doesn't stop at schools.  In that same "Sullivan's Salvos," he also whined about the lack of funding for county mental health.  The plain and simple truth is, if Sullivan likes it, it's going to cost you money.  Is that leadership, or political panhandling?

Asking taxpayers to "prevent" Mother Nature is foolhardy

Johnson County has been hit hard by Mother Nature in recent years and make no mistake it will happen again.

Remember the flood of 1993?  It caused millions of dollars in damage.  In knee-jerk reaction, millions of taxpayer dollars in flood mitigation projects for the area were spent.

That worked out well didn’t it?

Not thinking things through and getting it right cost us.

So now as a result of the 2008 flood and under the guise of “solving Mother Nature,” local government is hurriedly trying to slap you with a Mother Nature tax.

I’ve heard Coralville city councilors like Tom Gill tell us that they want to move forward with flood mitigation projects using arrogant lines like, “It has been decided to solve the problem once and for all.”

We heard similar comments from officials after the flood of 1993. 

It is wholly arrogant for anyone to think they can prevent Mother Nature from doing her thing.  Further, it is unwise for taxpayers to give elected officials one dime to fight Mother Nature before we know what the cause/effect consequences of flood mitigation projects might be.  Not thinking things through will cost us.

When asked at the recent Coralville tax forum what the upstream/downstream effects might be after the flood mitigation projects were in place, the panel responded with, “That’s under evaluation.”

In other words, they don’t know.  Officials don’t know what they’re doing, but they want your money anyway and they want it now.

Vote NO on May 5.

Your local government has been treating you like an ATM

According to a recent article in the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Iowa City employees spent more than $400,000 on travel in 2008.

Below are a few examples of how city offices did NOT reserve rooms with the taxpayer in mind.  You would think that during these lean economic times, that with flood recovery needs in mind - such lavish accomodations would not be pursued.  Why does government pretend it's a business?

City Office	Date	Hotel/City	Total Bill
Public Works	Mar 9 - 14	Westin/Houston	$4,937.00
City Attorney	Sep 13 - 19	Caesars Palace/Vegas	$2,014.00
Info Tech Services	Apr 26 - May 1	Hyatt Regency/Orlando	$3,319.00
Info Tech Services	Nov 9 - 13	Mandalay Bay/Vegas	$4,009.00
Fire Department	May 30 - Jun 5	Mandalay Bay/Vegas	$3,113.00
Planning/Development	Apr 26 - May 1	Bally's/Vegas	$1,971.00
Police Department	Mar 30 - Apr 3	Crowne Plaza/New Orleans	$3,189.00
		Total these 7 examples	$22,552.00
		Average Nightly Rate	$196.00

Caesars Palace?  Mandalay Bay?  A completely reasonable room could be had for about half the nightly rates at those places.  And don't buy into the City Manager Michael Lombardo line of crap about how sending an employee to a lower-priced hotel might not be worth it if it results in higher transportation costs.  That's absolute b.s. (barabara streisand).  An average nights stay at the Hard Rock Cafe just off the Vegas strip is about $99.  Nice accomodations and about a five minute cab ride from Caesars Palace.

To repeat, the city spent more than $400,000 on travel in 2008.  Your local government has been treating you like an ATM!  They spend your money like drunken sailors and they have the nerve to come asking you to approve a local option sales tax on May 5th?  Kudos to the city for FINALLY recognizing that they have a drunken sailor spending problem, but WHAT TOOK SO LONG?  How long has this bad habit been allowed Regina Bailey?  How many firemen hires has this cost the city?  One could easily argue that city is only pretending to be penny-wise now to present a better image until the LOST vote on May 5th - they want that local option sales tax passed folks, they want more of your money.

The proper role of government

Ladies and gentlemen,

We're surrounded by liberal idiots.

As most entities of government in Johnson County continue to deficit spend and irresponsibly attempt to raise taxes to compensate, liberals fail to realize that no society has ever taxed itself into prosperity, they've only come to ruin.

Quality of life issues such as good roads, clean water and public safety are proper roles of government. But those other things such as entertainment, income, and health care are not.

If you disagree with that statement, then you don't know squat about why our Founding Fathers did what they did in fighting the Revolutionary War.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - does NOT mean a *guaranteed* equal outcome.

Each human being is different. Each human being possesses different talents.

Whether you liberals care to admit it or not, the Obama/Reid/Pelosi *stimulus* package, the repeated bailouts, the President's $3.55 TRILLION budget, the increased government control over private enterprise - it all puts us on a road to socialism.

Our Founding Fathers are rolling in their graves.

Don't believe the so-called "need" for the Mother Nature tax

Don't believe the city councils trying to tell you that they need a local "option" sales tax to raise money for flood recovery efforts.  They're NOT telling you about stuff like what is contained in the article links below.  

 

There's a reason Cedar Rapids shoved their sales tax ballot through so quickly.  State and federal flood relief dollars were in the pipeline, they knew that.  Timing is everything.  What city councils didn't want was a bunch of "Area receives state and federal flood relief dollars" headlines and announcements coming out in media coverage before the local option sales tax vote!

 

The only reason Johnson County didn't get this issue on the ballot as soon as they COULD have, was because Johnson County Supervisors fought with city officials about jail vs. flood priority.  They fought over who should get your money.  The result was a May 5th vote and I'm here to tell you that Supervisors will not be disappointed to see the Mother Nature tax defeated because they want their jail THAT bad.

 

Ladies and gentlemen the flood recovery money is coming in from the state and the fed.  If more voters would have known this (too few did) in Cedar Rapids, I would wager that many 'yes' votes would have been 'no' votes. 

 

There are plenty of announcements coming out now like those below, city officials already have information on these items but they're not conveying it to area residents.  We don't need this Mother Nature tax folks, MONEY IS ALREADY COMING IN TO ADDRESS FLOOD CONCERNS!  

Culver, Loebsack Announce Nearly $9.5 Million in Disaster Assistance for Linn County Projects

$1.8 Million to Iowa for Disaster Recovery

Harkin Announces Nearly $7 Million in FEMA Funding for University Of Iowa, Linn County Flood Recovery

 

Gov. Culver, U.S. Rep. Loebsack: Announce more than $2.5 million to repair flood-damaged Cedar Rapids schools

 

Rebuild Iowa Committee Proposes $100 million aid package

 

County votes to take more of your money for four years

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors voted today on the term limit for the proposed local option sales tax that voters will consider in a May 5th special election.

In considering their flood mitigation project wish lists, area cities wanted a five-year sunset clause.    Some County Supervisors were pushing for a three-year sunset clause because they want to move forward with the proposed justice center - the local option sales tax proposal is an obstacle to that. 

The end result was a four-year sunset in a 3-2 vote.  Supervisors Terrance Neuzil and Rod "Blago" Sullivan voted against the four year time frame.  

In response to the vote, Coralville City Council member Mitch Gross said, "“I realize the economic times are tough, but the Iowa River doesn’t care about the economy.”

Does Mitch Gross have no shame?  What an emotionally manipulative thing to say.

Yes Mr. Gross, the economic times are tough, and it is ignorantly arrogant of you - or any other city or county elected official for that matter - to think that you know how to ward off Mother Nature.  The Coralville spillway has been overtopped just twice since going into operation in 1958, and you want to spend $54 million of our dollars on flood mitigation that won't work.  Those post '93 flood mitigation dollars did a lot of good huh?  Who told you building a dwelling right next to the river was a good idea?

It should be noted that County Auditor Tom Slocket suggested to make the expiration date of the tax coincide with the general election date. 

Gee, what a coincidence huh?  On the four-year deal that means the tax is *supposed* to expire on June 30, 2013.  That means tax-loving liberals (they LOVE to spend other people's money) of the cities and the county will have time to campaign for a renewal vote for the tax during the 2012 general election.  Slockett must have been sober this morning!

PROPOSED: That city governments and the Johnson County Board of Supervisors be REQUIRED to set aside money in their annual budgets for storm/natural disaster recovery and relief.

How is it that we have let our city and county governments to completely FAIL to save for a rainy day?

After the '93 flood and the lessons we supposedly learned there, had our so-called leaders had the wisdom to set aside - as is a common sense and RESPONSIBLE thing to do - we wouldn't be hearing this bogus call for a tax hike today.

Did Obama lie to the American people?

In his speeches, President Obama has the nerve to say that his Porkulus bill has no earmarks in it.  He knows full well it does, but I guess that depends on what the definition of "earmarks" is huh?  The Omnibus bill is no different.

Have you looked at the Porkulus bill?  It's a 1,000-plus-page spending bill that includes hundreds of pages of earmarks - pet spending projects inserted by lawmakers, that cannot and SHOULD not be *confused* with emergency economic stimulus and these items include:  

$185,000 for coral reef research and preservation in Maui County, Hawaii

Research is emergency economic stimulus?

$55,000 in meteorological equipment for Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Have you read any reports of meteorological equipment manufacturers going bankrupt?

$9.9 million for science enhancement at historically black colleges in South Carolina.

Define "enhancement"..... and how does this *save* the economy?

$764,000 for the Lake George Watershed Protection Initiative in New York, requested by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York - Democrat

$9.9 million for South Carolina's historically black colleges and universities, requested by House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, South Carolina Democrat

$1.1 million requested by Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander and Sen. Bob Corker, both of Tennessee, for water treatment plant improvements in Tennessee's Unicoi County, as well as $300,000 for a sewer extension project in another county. 

Then there's the Omnibus spending bill.  For those of you not familiar with what an Omnibus bill is, basically, its purpose is to package appropriations into one bill so as to fund the federal government.  Please note that there is a spending increase with this Omnibus bill, despite the sour economy.  Republicans criticized the spending hike as unaffordable while the government is projected to run a deficit topping $1.2 trillion. Democrats said the increase, on top of the $787 billion economic Porkulus package signed last week, was needed to make up for: tighter budgets during the Bush administration.  Where are all the Democrat deficit hawks now huh?

Examples of Earmarks in the Omnibus

$713,625 Woody Biomass program - Charles Schumer, Democrat, co-sponsor

$951,500 for "Sustainable" Las Vegas - Harry Reid, Democrat, co-sponsor

$24,000 A+ for Abstinence - Arlen Specter, RINO, sponsor.

$300,000 Montana World Trade Center - Danny Rehberg, Republican, sponsor.

Both parties are guilty, but Obama told us this kind of stuff wouldn't happen under his *leadership*....

Earmarks continued:

$200,000 Oil Region Alliance

$190,000 Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, WY for digitizing and editing the Cody collection

$143,000 Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Las Vegas, NV, to expand natural history education programs

$238,000 for the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Honolulu, HI, for educational programs

$381,000 for Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York, NY for music education programs

$950,000 nature education center in Moss Point, Mississippi

These are items necessary for the federal government to function?

This is Obama's HOPE?  This is Obama's CHANGE?