Fun With Dick & Jane

There was a lot to talk about today. MA just passed a $27B budget which adds an additional billion dollars in taxes on the Massachusetts citizens. Dick added that in addition to a 25% increase in sales tax, Governor Patrick still wants a 19 cent gas tax.

I wanted to talk about the Cap and Trade bill, including my experience contacting Representative Richard Neal’s office last Friday. Representative Neal is my representative in the 2nd District. When I inquired whether representative Neal would vote for the Cap and Trade bill, his staff member replied: “I don’t speak for Representative Neal.” I then asked if knew whether Representative Neal supported Cap and Trade and again he said “I don’t speak for him.” I was apparently under the mistaken impression that Representative Neal worked for me. Apparently accountability to his constituents does not include telling us where he stands on an issue.

We need some new politicians.

I mentioned Monica Conyer’s guilty plea to conspiracy to commit bribery last week. While she is awaiting sentencing, her husband, Representative John Conyers, in charge of ethics in the House, decided that he would halt any investigation into ACORN’s suspected use of the President’s donor list to funnel funds to the Obama campaign illegally. Now at least the people charged with sentencing representative Conyer’s wife will no linger have to worry about an ethics investigation of the executive branch. We will see if her sentence reflects the executive’s gratitude.

We talked about the President’s reversal on his pledge to not raise taxes on the middle class, as well as his immediate support for the Honduras dictator in consort with Chavez and Castro, and compared his response to how long it took him to come out for the Iranians.

We hashed over the Ricci decision, and the Court’s chastisement of Supreme Court nominee Sotomayor for her failure to avail the firefighters with due process.

There was more, but you will have to listen!

Enjoy!

Dick and I talked about the MA budget and the 25% sales tax hike which passed last night bringing our taxes to 6.25%, one of the highest sales tax rates in the country.  We also talked about California’s pending bankruptcy and Barney Frank’s promise to bail out California with our money.   We also talked about MA “quasi public agencies” where we the taxpayers pay lots of people lots of money to do – well we don’t really know.

Dick commented that President Obama was “transparent” as he is constantly out there making speeches.  Visibility is not transparency in my book, and I encouraged Dick to watch the President’s left hand when his right hand is moving.

We talked a bit aboutthe abortion issue and how it isn’t an issue in MA, and hasn’t been an issue in MA for a decade at least, but nearly every democrat runs on that issue in order to scare people into voting for them.  My inner libertarian snuck out as I suggested that people could make any decision they want as long as the government doesn’t pay for it.

Now on a roll I proposed that we immediately replace the legislature with non-paid volunteers who work only when needed.  I also proposed that we immediately suspend all government programs except police and fire, and start again.  And I was only half kidding.

We had a good discussion about the information emerging about ACORN and particularly the latest revelation that the NY Times had information about illegal campaign activity between the Obama campaign and ACORN and refused to publish it, lest it be an “election changer.”  Dick wanted to know why I didn’t file a lawsuit.  When I explained that the government had to investigate that violation and specifically the attorney general who President Obama appointed Dick understood my frustration.

There is more, but you will have to listen.

How time flies!  Father Peter subtituted for Dick today, and we had a great time.  We started by talking about the Somali pirates,  and Richard Phillips the heroic captain of the Maersk Alabama who was rescued by our incredible navy seals

We noted that the President performed well in his first Overseas Contingency Operation, and wondered about his yet unannounced plan for combatting the escalating piracy problem.

We then celebrated Tax Freedom Day on April 13th  and wondered whether next year, the day when we finish paying the government, will fall some time in December.

Next we talked about the Tea Parties.  Father Peter and I are attending the Worcester Tea Party on April 15th.  For some reason Peter spent a long time wondering if we will end up in jail.  Having visited most of the jails in the Commonwealth, I hope not.

We talked about MA congressman Ed Markey and Henry Waxman’s proposed legislation with would allow all of us to sue the government if we think we have been harmed by global warming.  I wondered if the suit provision could be extended to people who have been harmed by global warming legislation.

Next up was corrupt prosecution of Ted Stevens,  China’s growing reluctance to purchase our bonds, and the first lady’s new full time make-up artist.

It was a really fun hour so enjoy.   If you are attending the Worcester Tea Party come up and say hello.  (Fr Peter will be the guy in the priest outfit)

It was an interesting hour. Dick managed to filibuster the first ten minutes despite my on-going attempts to chime in, interrupt, knock him out and just generally get a word in edgewise.

Dick complained about labor and I reminded him that Democrats get lots of money from labor so if you want to loosen labor’s grip, stop electing democrats.

We talked about President Obama’s first 50 days. Dick is certainly not defending the president at this point, but assumes some expertise on the president’s part because he wants to get re-elected. I’m of the opinion that incompetence is the order of the day despite any re-election plan.

We talked about the economy, all the spending and the fact that to date the government is costing every household $80,000 – nearly twice the medium income in this country. Both Dick and I believe we should THROW THE BUMS OUT!

Finally we discussed the Governor of Massachusetts latest junket to Jamaica accompanied by a posse of state police (paid for by the taxpayers). Both Dick and I wondered who exactly would recognize Deval Patrick in Jamaica, never mind want to cause him harm

The New Era of Arrogance is simply astounding. Enjoy!

Dick moves to the right in today’s podcast – to the point where by the end of the hour I asked him why he is a democrat.

We talk about Daschle – before he withdraws his nomination, President Obama’s second week in office, Iraq successes, General Petreaus, Obama’s move toward socialism, the bail-out bill, President Obama’s pessimism, and Michael Steele.

Enjoy!

Late on Friday of Superbowl Weekend we learn that Tom Dasche, President Obama’s choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services has a tax problem. Like Tim Geithner,  Tom Daschle  forgot to pay his taxes but miraculously remembered in time to be nominated for a job by President Obama.   (Does a memo go out or something?)

Daschle started out modestly enough as a Democrat Senator from South Dakota elected in 1986 who rose to minority leader in 1994.  Ten years later he lost his relection bid to Republican John Thune.  During his time in the Senate, Daschle managed to become a multi-millionaire.  It might have something to do with his marriage to a high powered lobbyist, or it might just be another one of those examples of how our elected officials become wealthy while serving our country despite the fact that they are paid a salary and produce absolutely nothing.  (Daschle’s salary in his last year in office was $157,626.)  Four years later he owes nearly that much in ‘forgotten’ taxes.

Not to worry says the Obama administration, no news here.

Daschle is the latest of a string of nominees by President Obama who is apparently too stupid to play by the rules, but too important not to confirm.

UPDATE:  I like Tom Maguire’s take:

Obama’s emerging deficit-reduction strategy – keep nominating wealthy Dems to top posts and watch the back taxes flow in.

We could call it a “stimulus plan”.