On Posting recall signatures stirs controversy
Posted on February 6 at 12:19 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
The process we used for circulating these things in our area was very clear and everyone had training at some level. The state dictated the format of the petition which by law required the name and address, including the municipality. Nothing was said or discussed about an on line database.
Prior to the internet, making something public meant putting the sheets in a binder and making it available in a library or state office. There is nothing that mandates that this has to be a searchable database and I would contend that this indeed is a breach of privacy of sorts. The use of this data for any reason other than to verify addresses should be illegal. We did this right and thousands of Republicans signed this as well. If some company maps this data into a print form and allows it to be searched, any user who causes problems with this should be sued.
On The fear of federal college loans
Posted on February 5 at 12:47 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
If you take a good look at privately funded college loans, they are remarkably like the sub-prime loans that were issued for homes prior to 2008. In fact, the premiums from these loans are packaged into securities in the same way and passed on by the banks to other investment houses. The fact that the banks have no skin in the game makes them eager to hand $50 grand to some kid who has no chance of paying it off and often has little understanding of the costs.
On Should state create tollways?
Posted on February 4 at 5:56 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Greg, that would be the dumbest thing the state ever did. As a traveler on tollways from PA, NJ, OH, IN, and most recently IL, none of these roads were maintained as well as the interstates in WI. Even the main highways that are not interstates, such as Route 12 from the IL boarder to Elkhorn, have always been kept in better shape. Lets keep the money flowing from existing sources to fund our highways and forget about a whole new system of tolls.
In CO, they put in a new tollway from Denver to Boulder. Everyone drives other routes to avoid the tolls. While the new auto-payment methods are great and do clear up traffic, it is an extremely expensive thing to start. Lets use our taxes wisely and for the benefit of everyone and not force people who have to drive these routes to pay for the whole road themselves.
On Analysis: How economy is viewed can differ sharply
Posted on February 4 at 5:48 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Rather than measure unemployment, we should be talking about how many people are currently in the workforce at any given time. This number normally starts to rise as we move into the summer, then drop a bit, then rise as the holiday shopping season picks up. Along with this normal movement, we saw a steady increase in the total workforce from 2000 until 2007. Then it started to level off and in mid 2008, the bottom fell out. Instead of a Christmas bunp, we saw a drop of 6 millions jobs. Beginning in early 2009, just as the Stimulus Plan kicked in, this thing started to return to normal. The gains right now are comparable to the early 2000's. Just ask yourself who was president in 2008 and what happened. Then try to understand how the GOP can claim that this was Obama's fault. No way.
Posted on February 3 at 11:34 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
While Michael is correct in stating that this election will depend on how well we are doing on election day, it also will depend on how much people understand about why the economy self destructed in the first place. For a country to be swimming in debt while the GOP candidates really around a "cut taxes even further" banner, Romney is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Had the very rich had to pay regular tax rates on income that the really earned, we would have a lot more cash in the bank.
On What’s in your savings account?
Posted on February 2 at 1:12 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
The comment about "underwater" homeowners growing up in the 80's is interesting. Those who were in school in the 80's would of course be buying homes in the early 2000's when prices were rising much faster than they ever did before. Most young buyers were forced to borrow 90-95% of their home's price and couples had to work two jobs to pay the mortgage. This was perfectly acceptable. Then bang! Without warning in 2008 they found themselves in a hole because the house value was crashing while they still had to pay the bills.
This was no fault of the homeowners whatsoever because the banks and mortgage companies harped over and over how you can take a ARP mortgage and get out of it before the price resets. The banks kept no skin in the game and when they were about to go under, we bailed them out.
On Romney: Not focused on poor, they have safety net
Posted on February 2 at 12:59 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
None of these GOP guys understand the whole process of aid to those below the poverty line and worse yet, they have no idea how many are moving into those brackets. Had some of the ultra rich Wall Street types had any any feeling for those whose homes they wiped out, they could not possibly stay awake at night knowing that they only contributed 15%.
On Is our state budget balanced, or not?
Posted on February 1 at 8:49 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Simple. The governor and his legislative friends are deciding what counts. Not being an accountant, I can't comment but it should be easy to look up how other states do their math.
It would be a surprise that revenue from things like sales tax are increasing in the state. We have a state legislature that chooses to send teachers out in the cold and put their future at risk. How many of them are buying cars? Same with other state employees? Bringing down the average income in the state is not going to help the bottom line.
On What’s in your savings account?
Posted on February 1 at 8:43 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
How in the world are you going to get anywhere in regular savings accounts with today's interest rates. Only the very well to do have the means to invest with any kind of real return. With some many out of work, how in the world can they build a nest egg?
On the housing subject, the meltdown wiped out property values and left millions underwater. At the same time certain billionaires who invested in CDOs made out of our mortgages made millions. This money has to come back somehow.
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On From relief to despair: Varying views of jobs data
Posted on February 6 at 12:33 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Anyone not seeing the proof here is blind. This recession started in 2007, almost 6 million fewer jobs existed at the end of 2008 than the previous year, and the damage was not contained until after the stimulus plan started helping out. Chart after chart confirms this. Since mid 2009, we have had slow but steady improvement with the usual fluxuations in unemployment. I think we are on track to get unemployment in the 7.5 range this year.