NebraskaPatriot

Some Odds and Ends to Ponder

from various corners of the map . . .

 

Under the headline “Transportation Not an Obama Priority, Sen. Boxer, DOT Officials Complain”, an article in the November 30^th edition of Transport Topics reports on how the Obama Administration has no focus on “a long-term vision for transportation”.  I’m not sure they have any focus period so this is not a real surprise is it?

 

Near the end of the article, it quotes John Porcari, who is described at the No. 2 official at the Department of Transportation, saying,“the Obama administration still is committed to investing in infrastructure.” And then the article added this little nugget, “However, he [Mr. Porcari] conceded that not enough was being done to rebuild and expand the country’s infrastructure.”  What????

 

Ok, so call me a dumb ole country boy but wasn’t that one of the big selling points of the $787-billion  Obama Stimulus plan last February. Remember Obama, Biden and Democrats like Ben Nelson using the phrase “shovel ready projects” and touting infrastructure construction. Hmmm

 

 

Meanwhile, down in Texas the AP reports that some legislators are proposing a 20-cent a gallon increase in the state fuel tax to pay for new highways in the state. It quotes Senate Transportation Chairman John Carona (R) as follows, “we have no money to build them [roads]”. One interesting note is that the story quotes an official that says folks are filling up much less today than in the past which translates into less revenue coming into the state and federal governments. I go back to my comments in the prior paragraph: wasn’t one of the big selling points of the $787-billion Obama Stimulus plan all the shovel-ready infrastructure projects? Where’s them Stimulated shovels at down there in Texas Mr. President?

Here’s one from the Just-how-bad-the-economy-is-right-now file. The other day I saw the follow headline:

 

Oct. [Truck] Tonnage Falls 5.2%

13^th-Straight Decline Is Best Showing in a Year

 

Ok, so less and less continues to be shipped and produced for the 13^th straight month and the tone of the article was this is somehow considered good news. Manufacturing continues to be down, consumer confidence continues to be down-how is this good news?

 

 

How's all this change-working-for-you New Yorkers as that state faces a $3.2 billion deficit that could run as high as $9 billion in 2010 according to AP. The reporting service also said that Gov. Patterson was forced to back off a plan that would have required all vehicle owners in New York state to pay for new license plates in order to raise an estimated $129-million in revenue. Apparently, even a left-leaning northeastern state like New York is getting tired of higher and higher taxes. Hey, Gov. Patterson, I’ve buried my head in some sand so I can think like a liberal and I came up with some revenue enhancements ideas for you:

           

            A spin off of the death-tax:

• Make anyone married in New York state since it’s founding renew their marriage license
• Make anyone born in New York state since it’s founding renew their birth certificate
• Make all dead people renew their death certificates

Or how about this:

• Make all motorists that have paid tolls over the past ten years, pay those same tolls again
• Make everyone as they exit an airplane at Kennedy pay a toll
• Turn traffic lights in New York City into coin operated toll roads
• Charge people an escape fee who are moving out of the state. This could be a REAL big revenue maker since folks are leaving New York State in droves.
  

Have a great weekend.

Boy I Hate Being Pessimistic

I get no warm fuzzies from those in Washington . . .

As I've said before, I'm a generally upbeat, positive person. I don't like to be around negative people. So it really bothers me when I look out across the plains right now because it's really hard to find positives in terms of the economy.

 

Here’s some sobering facts as heard out on the Great Plains:

 

• The Omaha World Herald reported last week that "significant economic weakness remains in the rural Midwest," based on a survey of small-town bankers in 11 states, including Nebraska.  The survey by a Creighton University economist "indicates that job losses continue and that home sales and retail sales are still weak." 

 

• CNBC.com reported that "according to the federal government's broadest measure of unemployment, some 17.5% are either without a job entirely or underemployed.  The so-called U-6 number is at the highest rate since becoming an official labor statistic in 1994."  With such a large portion of Americans experiencing employment struggles, economists worry that an extended period of slow or flat growth lies ahead.

 

• Layoffs and business closers continue as 2009 enters its final month. I’m willing to bet that if you have not personally been involved in a layoff or closure then you know someone who has. I was fortunate in that the small company I was with was a head of the curve so to speak when it closed in August 2008 and I was very fortunate to find another job by late September. For far too many today, that isn’t the case. I know how gut wrenching it was for me following the closing of the company. Unless you’ve gone through it, it’s really hard to describe but I can say that it was a very challenging time for me internally and one that I will not soon forget.

 

• The Lincoln Journal-Star reported that "The [Nebraska] Legislature ended its special session recently with a bill that balanced the state budget and filled a $334 million revenue gap" with no tax increases on individuals or businesses.  The session was called following several months of shortfall in state tax revenue. Meanwhile, a report in the Omaha World-Herald says "economists and state senators alike predict that budget woes in state government will continue into 2012 and possibly longer, even if the effects of the recession have bottomed out."  According to the story, "that means lawmakers will face more difficult and unpopular choices when they return in January for their regular session."  “This just may be the first Band-Aid. I hope not,” said State Sen. John Wightman of Lexington[Nebraska].  The story quoted Scottsbluff Sen. John Harms, who said "if the economic recovery is slow, we're going to be talking about closing agencies."

 

• And in a related story, the web site Stateline.org reports that "tax collections declined in the third quarter in 44 states for which early data are available, according to a report released Nov. 23 by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government."  According to the report, states collected 10.7% less in tax revenue in the July-September period than during the same three months a year ago.  "Corporate income tax collections declined more in Ohio than in any other state in the quarter, falling more than 111%."

So there you have it. Not real uplifting news but it's the reality as we know it. Maybe those in Washington DC should come out and live with the rest of us and taste reality. 

Ok, so let's end this with some humor anyway: