NebraskaPatriot

Tree Huggers Reduce Tax Revenues Across The Country

who'd of thunk it . . .

It's finally happening, Americans are driving less and do so in more fuel efficient cars and we have our friends in the Environmentalist Wacko movement to thank. Yes, they have finally gotten what they have dreamed of for years, heck generations.

I think we can all agree that it's good that we are improving our fuel efficiency, I don't think anyone quibbles with that goal.

Now, I'm sure what is coming as quite a shock to our friends on the Left is that they also are responsible for cutting tax receipts through their efforts! Yes, let that one sink in for a second. The Left who worship at the alter of the almighty Tax Increase reduced tax receipts? 

You see automobiles are more fuel-efficient, people are driving less and, increasingly in many parts of the country, they are driving automobiles that aren’t powered by petroleum at all. The result is less fuel being used consequently less tax being paid. Add in the Obama-economic-malaise that we are still in and you will find states across the country and Mr. Obama's and his Democrats in Congress scrambling in the wake of large revenue shortfalls into the various state and federal highway coffers.

So what an interesting web we weave. The Left pushes for efficiency never realizing that in doing so it reduces the mother's milk of it's movement - TAX RECEIPTS.

So it will be interesting to watch the Left's allies in Washington and throughout the state legislatures try to find a solution to this revenue shortfall. In Washington, they might want to start by ending the current diversion of 25% of the gas-tax funds to non-highway building projects such as Amtrak and metro busing; streetcar and subway budgets. These are all local responsibilities not federal but then again, Obama and the Dems think everything is Federal because they are smarter than the rest of local folk.

How ironic this all is.

The map below is from last fall. I would imagine that some of these numbers have increased as state legislatures try to find ways to close the fiscal deficits that each is facing.

Don't Look Now . . .

I think we could all live without this . . .

but gasoline prices are heading toward $3.00 a gallon.

Anyone notice that gas prices have been climbing? According to the Department of Energy, we are paying more at the pump right now than we have since November 2008 when we were coming off those record breaking high summer gas prices.

Indications are that even higher gasoline prices are ahead.

Gosh, this Obama economic and green energy strategy is really working wonders for the American people. Whatever glimmer of Hope that White House economists see in our economy could quickly Change to naught if gas prices continue to rise past the 3-dollar mark.

UPDATE: I guess my timing was a bit ironic as the Omaha World-Herald has as its lead story today on the increase in gas prices.

Is There Another Payoff in Ben Nelson's Future?

Cap and Trade will be hitting the Senate soon . . .

It appears that a very familiar group of Democrat Senators have the fate of Cap and Tax in their hands. National Review reports:

"Democratic Senators, fearful of a drubbing in the mid-term elections next year, are lining up to argue for alternatives to the scheme that is the centerpiece of the carbon reduction proposals that Mr Obama hopes to sign into law. With the Congressional battles over Mr Obama’s healthcare reforms fresh in their memory senior Democrats are asking the Administration to postpone the next big climate change push until at least 2011.

Senators from Louisiana, Indiana, Nebraska and North Dakota, some with powerful energy companies among their constituents, are falling out of love with the idea of a large-scale cap-and-trade scheme — which seeks to allocate tradeable permits to major polluters — in favor of less ambitious proposals that put jobs and the economy first."

And GayPatriot has a companion piece today about the Boxer-Kerry bill.

This is same-song-different-verse. We know in the end, how easily Ben Nelson was able to drop his moral commitment to pro-life in favor of Obamacare. Some tax dollar kickbacks and a lot of attention and he decided pro-life wasn't so important after all.

So what will we get this time in Nebraska for his support of Cap and Tax? Oh, Nelson will complain and ponder and lament about how Cap and Tax will hurt Nebraskans but in the end, we all know there is a big FOR SALE sign on Ben Nelson's forehead. Gosh, can't wait for Cornhusker-kickback II.

Those of you outside Nebraska can just start writing checks and sending them to the Nebraska Department of Revenue. Thanks in advance . . .

Apparently Mother Nature Needs A Teaching Moment

July is historically the hottest month in Nebraska with the average temperature being 89 degrees. In eastern Nebraska, moderate humidity can add to the mix and make July a bit toasty. Well, that is until this year when Mother Nature apparently missed all the fuss over Cap and Trade and how we are pushing our planet to the boiling point.

You see Nebraska finishes off July '09 tomorrow as the third coolest in recorded history. For the entire month, we had just two days above 90 degrees.

This is usually the time of year when I start sweating as soon as I walk outdoors but this year, it's like late September with temperatures in the high 70's and lower 80's.

I guess Mother Nature better watch out because if the President finds out he may accuse her of acting "stupidly" this month and trying to sabotage the prospects for this Cap and Tax program. 

Obama and Democrats after 5 Months in Charge

    Change, Inexperience or both run amok? 

 

Got to give it to President Obama, Rahm Emmuel and all the Democrats in the Senate, including our very own Ben Nelson of Nebraska and as well as Nancy Pelosi and her litter of lemmings in the House, what a first almost five months. 

 

A lot has been thrown against the wall and for Democrats, the slime is starting to build up under their feet. So let’s review some of their actions:

 

Obama and Democrats pass a nearly $800-billion stimulus with the promise that it will prevent unemployment from rising past 8% with all those “shovel ready projects”.

·         4 months after it’s passage, unemployment is now at 9.4% nationally . . . Oops

 

Obama and Democrats now claim that their nearly $800-billion stimulus package has saved or created nearly 150,000 jobs.

·         The only problem is that the President’s own Labor Department says no one can substantiate that claim. Oops . . . 

 

President Obama said on C-SPAN over the Memorial weekend that “we are out of money”. Ok, doesn’t that just make you want to scream out loud “YOU THINK!!!!”

·         Mr. President, that was a Joe Biden type comment, is he rubbing off? . . . Oops

 

Cap and Tax, sorry, Cap and Trade is projected to cost each household in Iowa and Nebraska $240 more per month. That’s $2880 a year. That’s a chunk of change.

·         Is there any TARP or auto bailout money left? How about can we just get some change from your date night slush fund Mr. President?  Oops . . .

 

Obama is looking at taxing all employee health benefits as a way to fund his Nationalized Healthcare program. Seventy percent of the 253 million Americans with health insurance receive at least some of it through their employers. The Office of Management and Budget projects such a tax would yield a whopping $246 billion every year.

·         Rumor has it that upon hearing the prospect of such a tax revenue windfall, the President leapt to his feet and did a 360 slam dunk on the White House basketball hoop. . . just kidding . . . Oops

 

Someone said recently there is a certain irony in a president who routinely praises America's commitment to "the rule of law" but who picks Supreme Court nominees for their readiness to discard the rule of law whenever emotions move them

·         Emotion translates into empathy or bias toward one party. I thought Lady Justice was blind  Oops . . .

 

Obama and Congressional Democrats have quadrupled the budget deficit to almost $2 trillion. This dramatic increase in the deficit plus the overall increase in the national debt surpass all the deficit spending by ALL prior Presidents combined!! Obama’s spending madness is driving up yields on U.S. debt and threatening to derail the Federal Reserve’s efforts to cut borrowing costs for businesses and consumers.

·         Can anyone give me an example of where else in history this spend-yourself-out-of-recession plan has worked? This is a big OOPS because THERE IS NONE!!

 

Obama and his fellow Democrats are forcing inner-city kids in Washington DC back into that city’s failed public school system. Dems and Obama are ending the DC voucher system that have provided a safe and productive environment from which many minority kids can achieve and break the cycle of poverty.

·         Gosh, sounds rather racist doesn’t it. Are Obama and the Democrats in Congress really wanting to return us to the days of George Wallace and the 60’s by locking the doors on the DC voucher option? Oops . . .

 

The first Gitmo detainee who was allegedly involved in, as Obama now calls it, a man-caused disaster, has been brought to our country for trial. At the same time, it’s reported that Obama is now requiring the FBI to read Miranda rights to terrorists captured in foreign lands thereby giving them U.S. Constitutional rights. Say WHAT!

·         Maybe the President should put American’s national security above politics. Oh, but that would mean Obama would have to have a sense of duty and obligation. Oops . . .

 

$50-billion in taxpayer dollars have gone to G.M. so far. The Wall Street Journal reports that GM would have to be worth a cool $80 billion for taxpayers to break even on their 60% stake. By way of comparison, GM's market capitalization at its recent peak in 2000 was only $56 billion.

·         Hey, good deal Democrats. Can’t wait to see your new car designs. Eco-Green cars the size of riding lawnmowers will have such an appeal to consumers . . .

 

And finally, Nancy Pelosi  . . . she is all yours Democrats.

·         Could she be classified as a man-caused disaster? Why do I think that the folks in the White House have their own term for her. Oops . . .