Gingerbread Mamma,

Agree !!!

In a new poll just released today, President Obama leads Romney in Michigan by 18 points (51-33) and leads Santorum by 26 points (55-29).

http://decoded.nationaljournal.com/2012/02/romney-in-a-michigan-rut.php

They sure do, right gang.

Yeah, Michigan. Let's see - a state dependent on the auto industry and home to the fine and totally bankrupt city of Detroit.

But it gets better right? Now that gas is headed to $5.00 per gallon we are seeing the fruition of the democrats wishes.

They keep saying we must be weaned off oil, it's dirty and imported from people that hate us. Chu said in '09 we needed to get gas at Europe prices and of course Obama said our energy costs would skyrocket under his leadership.

Oh and they big brained libbies even devised a system to specifically inflate the cost of fossil fuels. You know so all us ignorant clingers would get off the dirty stuff and into some shiny Volts and Karma.

Mission accomplished. Too bad Michigan and everywhere else is going to implode.

Yep, gas is over $4.25 here and it's headed you all's way. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. And do be sure to thank the dems - they are doing just what they said they wanted.

Hurts, don't it?

But at least you're happy and that's the important part.

Won't hurt half as bad as continuing to sell out to the arabs and clowns like Chavez to get our oil. Guy's like you can't see past their wallet Spanky. Being short sighted is what got us into the mess we're in, not Obama. There are lots of folks that want it all fixed, but only as long as they do not have to contribute themselves. It's never worked that way and isn't likely to start now. Gas should go up, so far up that it becomes worth it to you to retrofit your vehicle to run on natural gas. So far up that it becomes another space race to get natural gas available at every service station in the country. Then we can start walking the talk. We can never fix our economy as long as we keep exporting money to oil producing states. We cannot drill enough here to help ourselves as it just goes out of the country to line someone's pockets. We have to get off of it, and yeah, it's going to hurt. It always does when you wound yourself being greedy.

I would like to thank the Tea Party for endorsing any and every moron they can find. Job well done!

Short sighted?

Huh, well let's see he has dumped a ton of cash into Solyndra, Fisker and other Green projects. I'm sure all that stuffs going to pan out any time now, right?

Funny part is - you know who went all in on the green energy thing-y? Germany.

See if you can guess what they are doing with all that crap now?

But hey, although I do hate paying all the extra money at the pump it is always nice to have less traffic. Sucks for all them poor folk the dems are always talking about, but those are the very people who get wrecked by 'skyrocketing' energy costs, so I assume the dems don't really care about them.

And that's just a shame, right Amused?

Unfortunately, this is the same mind set in Michigan that continues to give us Dingell, Conyers and Levin.

Hate gas prices? Republican governors want to raise gas taxes in some states. The state taxes add to the price we pay at the pump. Where's your outrage?

DCIA- for the record, that plan is being floated in Michigan and I am squarely against it. I will not vote for anyone that signs up for thie bill being proposed.

I think, in the end, Snyder will not sign it. But he's not a politician and isn't worried about being re-elected. So we'll have to see.

With states looking anywhere and everywhere to replace lost revenue, they won't fight too hard to lower gas prices. Which brings up another point...

There are more than 3 times the drilling rigs in operation today than Jan. 2008 and we are producing more oil than we have in the last eight years... so why is gas so high?

Take a look at Brazil and what they have accomplished Spanky, refill your glass of whine and come back and talk to me. We cannot have a conversation if you're going to cherry pick failures. Nothing new ever happens without a few failures first, and yes, those failures cost money. We lost a few moon rockets as well, but now everyone get's to drink Tang and have pens that can write upside down. <humor> You get the just of it. It's not a political thing Spanky,it is a survival thing. The sooner you folks on the the right figure that out, the better of we'll all be, and the closer we come to devising a solution that works for most people. Or not, and we can just keep whining about gas prices and waiting for cheep oil to fall from the sky or something.

King, because all of that new oil was exported. It's one reason why lots of people are not big fans of the KeystoneXL. It is just America providing a way for Canadians to get their oil out to be refined in Europe and South America. There will be little if any gain for the US and lots of risk. These things have to be thought through and "drill baby drill" isn't thinking.

Amused In The Midwest

Wishful thinking on your part in regards to Spanky sitting around long enough. He usually just posts questions and then flies off in search of Amy.

Amused in the Midwest...

Where the heck is that button to fan you? GREAT POST!! (and good humor too)

Amused, yeah I know what's going on with oil being produced here. At least there are Americans being employed. And no amount of drilling or production will change the price of a barrell of oil. I was kinda hoping that Spanky, WCA or one of their type would admit that. Don't know why, know it's never gonna happen. Nicely put in your post. I don't know why someone is so dead set against this country trying something new. I thought that's what we were good at.

Not sure what you mean that Snyder is destroying MI. His approval ratings are on the upswing. He inherited a big mess from decades of Democratic ruin.

Well, Pike Lake, I'll ask you just like I asked White Collar Auto and Jolly, how do you like Synder so far? And has your town and those you voted for been disenfranchised yet? Got your voter id in order?

The GOP finally finds a good tax: on the poor

Joanne Bump, a senior policy analyst with the Michigan League for Human Services has a terrifying new report out titled “Tax Changes Hit Low-Income Families the Hardest”. The report is HERE (pdf) with an Executive Summary HERE (pdf).Last year the Michigan Republicans passed a budget that lowers business taxes by $1.6 billion and increases individual income taxes by $1.4 billion.

What is shocking is how easy the budget goes on upper income Michiganders and how astonishingly HARD it hits lower income residents. Take a look at the average tax increase broken down by income group:

In fact, when you look at the total state and local taxes as a percentage of income of those making $334,000 or more per year vs. those making $17,000 year or less, the poorest people pay 1000 times more than those at the top of the food chain. The poorest Michiganders pay 1.0% of their income vs. 0.001% for the top earners.

Other things from the report that you should know about the tax time bomb that explodes in Michigan in 2012: see list

Thanks to the new Republican budget, 51% of all Michigan tax payer will pay MORE in personal income taxes in 2012 and beyond. Read that again. Over HALF of Michiganders will pay MORE TAXES because of the Republican budget. This is not Democrats. This is not even the Republicans of yesterday. This is, in fact, a mostly tea party-driven legislature who came in on a small government, less taxes bandwagon, tooting horns and banging tambourines.

And they just raised taxes on over half of our residents. Oh, yeah, and that whole smaller government thing? Republicans passed an unprecedented 323 laws in Michigan last year. Think about that.

http://bloggingformichigan.com/2012/02/03/the-tax-timebomb-that-explodes-in-michigan-in-2012-is-much-worse-than-you-thought/

Snyder and the Republican Legislature have, in one year, put Michigan back on track.

After 8 years of Granholms FAILED leadership, Snyder is the right man for the job.

If Obama would follow Snyders Business friendly agenda, the country would be on the right track.

Sorry Cynthia, you quoted from an opinion piece with suspect numbers.

The State of Michigan does not collect Tax Rates. It collects Dollars and the highest paid continue to carry the burden of the poor decisions of Granholm.

If it weren't for those Higher paid taxpayers, the City of Detroit would have long ago ceased to exist.

Hell, even the Liberal Detroit Free Press is giving the guy his due.

CP, I like Snyder so far, as do a rising amount of people like I said. From the Detroit News last week:

"The state budget is balanced, ahead of schedule. Revenue to the state treasury is rising. More than $5 billion in long-term liabilities have been removed from the state's balance sheet. A new contract with state employees, including UAW members, is being hailed by both sides as fair to public-sector workers and responsible to taxpayers.

The private sector last year created more than 80,000 jobs across the state, 76,000 vacancies remain unfilled and the unemployment rate is dropping. Detroit's automakers and their suppliers are adding jobs, many of them union jobs or high-paying technical ones.

State-based companies are upping the amount of goods and services they purchase from suppliers based in Michigan. Home sales and median prices are rising. And the city of Detroit, despite deepening financial troubles, is becoming a hub for high-tech employment and start-up ventures."

As far as voter ID, I've always showed my driver's license at the voting booth. What is wrong with showing a picture ID to prove you are who you are and are eligible to vote? Michigan gives FREE ID to low-income people and seniors.

Sounds like that state budget was balanced by taxing a whole lot of people, Pike.

What does "more than $5 billion in long-term liabilities removed from state's balance sheet" really mean?

You don't just say abra-cadabra and it's magically gone and creditors repaid or committments honored.

Maybe Michigan confiscated sold off a few parks or towns. After all, they do have to pay those city managers they installed....they seem to be "missing" a few judges and police departments, too. And we must have those charter schools to indoctrinate the little ones, too. Smaller government and all, you know.

Cynthia, care to back that statement up with any facts?

The liabilities were in the new contracts with state employees.

Similar to the liabilities that General Motors took off their books in the Bankruptcy/Bailouts that you are all so proud of.

Oh, there's more to it than that, WCA. Let's start with this one.

Everyone agrees that something must be done to “fix” Michigan’s struggling urban centers and school districts, although news of a $457 million surplus in early February prompted the state budget director to declare, “Things have turned.” But at what cost? In 2011 Governor Snyder stripped roughly $1 billion from statewide K-12 school funding and drastically reduced revenue sharing to municipalities. Combined with poor and sometimes corrupt leadership and frequently dysfunctional governments, these elements have brought Michigan cities to the brink of bankruptcy. Residents of the hardest-hit places have fled if they are able.

The state’s first emergency managers—previously known as emergency financial managers—were appointed between 2000 and 2002 by Republican Governor John Engler in the cities of Hamtramck, Flint and Highland Park to prevent them from declaring bankruptcy. Although all eventually left when their job was done—the last in 2009—all three cities are back in the red. In January the Highland Park School District was assigned an EM. (That city—population 11,776—is 93.5 percent African-American.) Others followed, in Ecorse, Benton Harbor and Pontiac, as well as Detroit public schools.

Under PA 4, EMs have proven to be a divisive solution. Outsourcing services to private companies and abolishing collective bargaining takes a page right out of the right-wing playbook: a 2011 report titled “101 Recommendations to Revitalize Michigan,” published by the conservative Mackinac Center for Public Policy, calls for ending “mandatory collective bargaining for government employees who already enjoy civil service protections.” Many are worried that EMs will hasten the gentrification of places like Benton Harbor, pushing out poor residents to make way for developers. In one of his first acts under PA 4, Joe Harris replaced nine people on the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and all nine members of the planning commission.

http://www.thenation.com/article/166297/scandal-michigans-emergency-managers

Michigan illegally liquidating community assets. http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/13/10398925-the-silencing-of-benton-harbor-michigan

Amy - I did so enjoy your comments last Monday [2/13] over at The Hill. You remember about how awesome Obama was and how you'd walk over coals for him?

Man, the people over there sure are different than here, right? You got at least 20 comments every single one asking if you were completely crazy.

Amy dear, best stick to the warm cozy confines of MSNBC.

Can we get rid of Snowe and Collins? Do we have someone good running against Snowe?

Spanky, news flash. Alot of people love Obama. I've never posted on the Hill.

Tommy,

Olympia Snowe may face a challenge from the right in her primary.

She remains extremely popular across the state.

I've heard of two Democrats who may challenge her. (In contrast to the national campaigns, the state one is taking forever to come together.) You can bet I'll keep you informed!

American First

Yesterday, the Republican-majority legislature in my state revoked the right of workers at the DeCosta egg farm in Maine to unionize. The bill passed strictly along Party lines. Even Republican voters in the state are appalled by this action.

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/02/21/news/state/maine-bill-removes-union-rights-for-egg-workers/?ref=regionstate

Funny thing about raising taxes, my fine libbie friends.

Take a look at what just happened in the UK when they tried to jack up taxes on the rich to 50%.

Too funny.

And of course there are examples here, like in the great state of Illinois and Cali. Totally doomed by out of control pension costs.

So Amy - you better get on trying to 'spike' you pension. apparently that's what all the cool kids do just before they retire.

It's really sad Amy. TeaPeople have to demonize a group that they conclude leans democratic.

I found it astounding that during their CPAC meeting they kept making reference to the NFL, SuperBowl. Those multi-millionnaire union members gave them NO pause!...but for the union workers on main street, oh NO!

You got it GT-######, a big "L" for Liars, Losers!

I know this is way too far in the past for you to bring into your current thinking, Spanky.

But remember when President Clinton raised taxes and we were starting to pay down the deficit. Do you remember how low unemployment was in those days? Raising taxes did not kill our country or jobs in fact we were better off than we had been in years.

The fact of the matter is that raising taxes worked for our country and the republicans are bound and determined to never let that happen again. When the republicans signed a pledge to assist Norquist in his goal of destroying America from within the republicans vowed never to raise taxes again.

Raising taxes saved American and the republicans don't ever want to do that again. As you can see the republicans are no longer interested in jobs they are only interested in overturning Roe v Wade for the church. Good thing a separation of church and state were written in the constitution to prevent such a willful disregard of people's individual rights.

Now if only the republicans believed in the constitution.

Chilled - Yes! A Big CAPITAL "L"

I wonder how many times during the debate we will hear the name Ronald Reagan? Am guessing 25.

Newt the historian does not live in the present....he only remembers 30+ years ago. Why won't anyone reference Dubya?.........nevermind!