Monthly Archives: December 2008
We’ve Moved
Crystal Clear Conservative has stumbled out of the underground bunker in Northern Virginia to move just down the blogosphere walk to http://www.crystalclearconservative.com. Please stop by, as crystalclearconservative.wordpress.com will not be used anymore after December 27, 2008.
Thanks~
Crystal Clear Conservative
Crystal Clear Conservative Improvements
Today, Crystal Clear Conservative will be transitioning to the new website: crystalclearconservative.com. There will be kinks at first, but we’ll get the show together. So, stop by and check it out.
Rock On…Led Zeppelin
Lately, I have been listening to the Led Zeppelin channel on Pandora. It is my favorite station (besides Jimmy Buffett and The White Stripes), and this weekend’s Rock On Segment features two of my favorite Zeppelin hits, Kashmir and Immigrant Song. Enjoy and for those who rock, I salute you!
Bush Abandoned Conservatives
President Bush admitted to abandoning limited government principles when he announced the bailout this morning, “If we were to allow the free market to take its course now, it would almost certainly lead to disorderly bankruptcy and liquidation for the automakers.”
It is sad when our President has failed to uphold his obligation to uphold the Constitution. For example, he has voted to limit our Freedom of Speech through signing “McCain/Feingold Campaign Finance” legislation into law.
Whether or not, you agree or disagree with this particular post, you have to admit that President Bush has done more damage to the free market economy through his eight years in office.
Congressional Pay Raises: Take That Tax Payers
C’mon… you know they deserve it! For what? Another way for the government to steal my liberties and vote for another bailout. As a taxpayer, I would rather have their pay raise to bail myself out.
Additionally, if they deserve a pay raise, then I deserve a new MacBook Pro (complete with Adobe Creative Suite) and a million dollars for my hard work.
Why Transparency is Needed in Virginia?
Transparency legislation is important, albeit controversial due to security reasons (after all, you do not want certain information being placed on a report that could compromise your state’s security). However, the time has come for transparency legislation for Virginia. With the economy in recession, there are impending tax increases and budget cuts in the cards.
So, wouldn’t it be nice to see exactly what the Commonwealth of Virginia spends on earmarks or unnecessary programs?
Transparency legislation has been passed to a degree for the Federal government. With the passage of the Coburn-Obama transparency bill, people can see how much money we are spending through earmark legislation. Additionally, Virginians would benefit from seeing the total amount of spending and be able to hold their legislators accountable for their actions. We do have a valuable asset with Richmond Sunlight, but there should be something that is ran by the Virginia government that allows voters to monitor how the state spends the taxpayer’s money.
Groups like Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, and CATO Institute all advocate for transparency legislation at the state levels. They realize the potential for success that transparency can have at the state levels. It helps to eliminate wasteful spending and unnecessary programs. This is why we need it now in this fledgling economy. It will be interesting to see if this will gain further momentum in Virginia and other states during the legislative sessions.
Kaine’s Budget = Tax Hikes for Virginia
Virginia is for tax hikes. In Tim Kaine’s Virginia, you can be assured that change will be sucked out of your pockets by the tax-uum (tax vacuum). With our state experiencing a $3 billion deficit, a tax hike is no doubt in the back of Tim Kaine’s mind to raise taxes as a means to compensate for Virginia’s shortfall.
Of course, Kaine has ensured he would implement “$358 million in annual spending reductions.” Aside from the spending restrictions, Kaine has decided to slash jobs, enact a hiring freeze, and even reduced his own salary. Although he mentions that he will keep the budget balanced without a tax increase, this is just a false assurance, as Kaine will most likely be forced to make a tax increase somewhere along the line. That being said, Kaine should be applauded for at least addressing the issue by making cuts within his own office before pondering tax increases immediately.
Although there are cuts within the Governor’s office, there will be cuts in other areas. Education funding will be slashed, as higher education will suffer with a 15% reduction. As attending a four-year college or university is expensive (trust me, I can attest as I am paying an exorbitant amount every month in student loans), more students will be facing higher tuition rates.
As for health care, Kaine will be raising the cigarette tax. This is the first in the pending tax hikes that Virginia will be facing. Raising taxes is wrong and is not a common sense solution. As a non-smoker, I still feel raising the cigarette tax will do more harm than good. Medicaid reductions will also be limited due to a possible demand in obtaining these services.
Lastly, transportation was mentioned. VDOT’s services will be streamlined and there will be layoffs within VDOT. Kaine mentioned Obama’s dedication to work on improving the transportation infrastructure.
As someone who is against any (and every) tax hike, I have a feeling Kaine wanted to water down his budget talk to avoid addressing an issue that would enrage Virginians. Tax hikes do not solve the problems we face, and in fact, they will cause more harm than good in our fledgling economy. We are in an economic recession and jobs are being cut all over the place. The General Assembly session will no doubt be interesting to watch in 2009.
**Here is the link to the Governor’s web site.**
No New Taxes on New Yorkers!
New York Governor David Paterson is proposing a budget with huge new tax increases on New Yorkers. With the economy facing difficult times, the last thing we can afford is new taxes on everything from hospitals, insurance policies, clothes and license plates – to “non diet” sodas, gross receipts and gasoline.
Meanwhile, Virginia is facing a $3 billion dollar deficit and the Governor is touting his budget cuts. Somewhere along the line, you know a tax hike might come our way as well. More on this topic later on today.
So Now It’s Cool For Presidents To Dodge Questions
During the Bush years, if a spokesman or the president himself attempted to dodge a tough question, the media would go into their Sam Donaldson impressions and pundits would see a conspiracy of silence. But now that it’s Obama, the dodging that was once denounced is suddenly celebrated .
Click on the read more link to see the video.
Time to Stop Earmarks!
Is it me or am I getting sick and tired of watching the government use my hard-earned dollars to fund some frivolous project? I hear it every night on the evening news or read it every morning in the newspaper that the government is funding some sort of wasteful “bridge to nowhere” project. As a taxpayer, I say, “enough is enough.” I struggle from paycheck to paycheck wondering how I am going to pay my rent or student loan debt. Not that I am complaining, I budget and watch my spending.
This year, according to Citizens Against Government Waste, “the government has identified 11,610 projects at a cost of $17.2 Billion in the 12 Appropriations Acts in 2008.” Why doesn’t this surprise me? The tax and spend liberals (and RINOs…oops, I forgot that is a curse word) have earmarked billions on some wasteful projects. Here is a little sampler of the earmarks and the legislator behind them:
- $3,737,652 for six projects by Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee member Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), including: $1,646,394 for the McDowell Grove Dam Rood Plain/Wetlands Restoration Project in DuPage County; $107,244 for wildlife habitat improvement; and $36,741 for conservation science at Lincoln Park Zoo. This “free” zoo was established in 1868 after a pair of swans were given to the Lincoln Park Commissioners. Today, the zoo can be rented out for weddings, picnics, corporate events, and holiday parties.
- $148,950 by Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and John Tester (D-Mont.) for the Montana Sheep Institute. According to the organization’s website, “The Montana Sheep Institute (MSI) is a cooperative project between Montana Wool Growers Association and Montana State University. The MSI is dedicated to developing and implementing non-traditional adjustment strategies that will increase the competitiveness of Montana’s lamb and wool in the world market. Our goal is to explore opportunities to increase the utilization of sheep in weed management programs and improve the profitability and competitiveness of the Montana Sheep Industry.” This is a b-a-a-a-a-d earmark. Since 2002, CAGW’s Pig Book has identified $2.8 million in pork for this research.
- $11,972,075 for 17 projects by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), including: $2,350,000 for Teach for America, New York, to engage teachers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); $893,000 for the National Aquarium in Baltimore Conservation and Education Programs for conservation and education programs of the marine environment National Aquarium of Baltimore; $178,600 for Johns Hopkins University Baltimore for the Johns Hopkins Prisoner Career Re-Entry Program to provide job training and placement.
- $188,000 by Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Rep. Thomas Allen (D-Maine) for the Lobster Institute. The group’s website says, “The LOBSTER INSTITUTE is a cooperative program of research and education with the lobster industry at the University of Maine…” Not only has the Lobster Institute been working on its “Lobster Cam (TheLobstercam.com),” one its major accomplishments has been lobster dog biscuits: “Your dog can now be a lobster connoisseur. Blue Seal Feeds, Inc. has launched the newest addition to its dog biscuit line Blue Seal Lobster ‘Bisque-its’ based on a concept devised by the Lobster Institute at The University of Maine, and their commercialization partner Saltwater Marketing LLC.” That isn’t much of a treat for taxpayers.
- $121,400,000 for 44 projects by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.), including $23,000,000 for the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC). Rep. Murtha became infuriated by Rep. Mike Rogers’ (R-Mich.) motion to remove the NDIC earmark. According to Rogers, Rep. Murtha warned, “I hope you don’t have any earmarks in the defense appropriations bills because they are gone and you will not get any earmarks now and forever. … That’s the way I do it.” Since 1992, more than $509 million has been used to fund NDIC, which is administered by the Department of Justice (DOJ.). But DOJ has asked Congress to shut the NDIC down because its operations are duplicative. This project helped Rep. Murtha win CAGW’s 2007 Porker of the Year award.
- $4,800,000 by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) for the Jamaica Bay Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area. The Gateway National Recreation Area’s website describes the Jamaica Bay Unit as “a wealth of history, nature and recreation, from New York City’s first major airport and coastal fortifications to a wildlife refuge and pristine beaches.” A nice place to swim away with defense dollars.
- $787,200 by House appropriator Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) for advanced green design at the Museum of Natural History in Minneapolis. Admission to the museum is free to University of Minnesota faculty, staff, and students, while adults are charged $5.
Earmark legislation has become a huge problem for our elected officials in Washington. We elect them, trusting that they will look out for the taxpayers’ interests, yet they choose to spend our money like drunken sailors. The Republicans keep calling for a moratorium, yet Congress still keeps passing the earmarks through. One would think with the government being officially bankrupt, there would be gradual cutbacks of earmarks. I guess not!
