These are the tactics of Politicians, liars and thieves -  when you overspend, threaten to cut true “vital” programs unless “drastic” measures are taken, such as tax increases and new taxes. There are other programs being cut–after school programs, libraries, parks, etc–but none of these are vital to the functioning of the city – they are perks of living in a large city that we have come to expect, but are not “vital.” Currently, the largest example of wasteful spending in Phoenix is Jack Harris, our “Public safety manager,” a title he received after retiring as Phoenix chief of police. He now collects a cushy pension, works in the same office, wears the same uniform, performs the same tasks as a Police chief and gets paid approx. $4000.00 per week on top of the pension. Oh, and Phoenix has no “Chief of Police” now. There are other examples, this just happens to be the most well documented.

Interesting update: as I was writing this article, the news broke a story that now our City counsel and mayor are considering increasing that 2% tax that they just approved 24 hours ago to 4%. Maybe I should wait to post this as it seems they can’t make up their minds on how much money they should steal from us.

At a time when Arizona is looking to raise taxes, the Federal government is going to raise taxes and incomes are falling, does it really make sense to financially burden the citizens further? The answer is a resounding NO! Stop the wasteful spending and the problem will cure itself.

-Thomas Jefferson.

If you put that into the perspective of the average American household with an income of $52,000 per year, 1% is saving a whopping $520.00 per year. This is supposed to help, right?

As a Republican I have to say that I am against John McCain, and will not be voting for him. He campaigns as a conservative Republican, but legislates like a moderate Democrat. McCain has been in Washington D.C. for too long. Maybe we can help him understand the wishes of Arizonans by bringing him home.

Much has been made of the successful election bid of Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts, and rightly so.  Word of his victory dominated the news cycle within minutes of the Associated Press calling the election.  But the MSM has missed the story within the story to the surprise of…well, no one really.

The REAL story started after the victory party.  It was altogether expected that the Democrats would circle the wagons and start pointing fingers, but several unexpected things happened as well.  For one, many prominent senior democratic officials immediately began back pedaling on the projected fortunes of the fate of healthcare overhaul, whilst the other end of the collective democratic mouth was simultaneously vowing to push the current legislation through–even the Exalted One Himself–had proclaimed a cease fire within the halls of Congress until Brown is seated.  Not content to express only a single opinion, Obama also opined through henchman Robert Gibbs that “we can and should get health care reform done this year”.   This is of course pure silliness as Scott Brown ran on the “41 platform” meaning he owes his very presence in Washington to the promise he made to reject any attempt to pass healthcare legislation as it is currently constituted.

Still, this isn’t the REAL story.  Perhaps the real story is this: Democrats Seek Quiet Exit From Healthcare Overhaul Debacle; Exit Stage Extreme Left.  But fellas, how can you make such an egregious claim?  See, the Democrats have had a year of unlimited power, unfettered by such trifle notions as respect for the minority, or procedural limitation, and still, after a full year of complete executive and legislative control, they have failed to produce the goods.  “Goods” here is of course a misnomer of the highest order, but one can’t help but feel that Dems believe they’ve been sold a bill of ‘em!  Reception of healthcare legislation has been tepid at best, in both political and non political circles and I’ll be damned if the Democrats aren’t upset by the fact that the people they represent just can’t see what a good thing they’re passing up.  People all across the nation have been looked down upon by the left in Washington, and while such treatment has traditionally been reserved for Republicans in “flyover country” it seems to have given way to non exclusive condescension.  Anyone who doesn’t understand the sheer brilliance of a government takeover of a full sixth of the U.S. private sector is seen as a roadblock, or know-nothing regardless of political affiliation.   While I would agree with many on the left that this election was not a referendum on Obama himself, any intellectually honest individual would have to admit that Obama’s policies were clearly on the ballot.  While some attribute these policies to Nancy Pelosi (because who doesn’t love to hate her), let’s be perfectly clear about this: those policies are one and the same.  The only solution for a young first term President, seeking what all first term presidents want, a second term, is to dive for the center in a sort of fumble recovery.  This happened to Clinton in ’94.  It seems that Obama was given a full year and then some less before the first major turnover.

To be fair, not everyone would agree that Obama is even turning toward the center, much less ready to dive for it, lest he grass stain that pretty mug of his.  But it is our contention that you won’t see the dive coming.  The plan is to walk away.  Like criminals heading into the street after a bank job, just whistle and walk slowly, try to blend in.  They won’t advertise their defeat;  That would be owning it.  And they needn’t attempt to justify such a failure to their base, or the MSM.  They will simply blame the evil Republican obstructionists (despite having a year of only democratic obstruction to deal with).  No just whistle and walk slowly.  The demise of this legislation is all but certain.  Oh, don’t be surprised if they pass a “healthcare bill” similar in construction to a non binding U.N. resolution which is rather like passing nothing at all.  But don’t look to see anything substantive pass through those halls anytime soon.  And don’t kid yourself, Obama and the majority of Dems, see just what they’ve been looking for since August: an exit strategy.

This, after numerous tomes (think Carville’s 40 More Years) proclaimed the death of Reagan conservatism.  Countless op-ed columns and blog posts were devoted to conducting gleeful post-mortems on the conservative movement while heralding a massive “realignment” and the ushering-in of a great new golden era of progressivism.

President Obama was elected, in no small part, due to his soaring oratory and lofty “third way” rhetoric.  But a year into the great era of Hopenchange, dream has abutted reality.

In February of last year we were sold one of the greatest non-sequiturs ever foisted upon the American public.  The economic crisis was not the result of moral hazards created by onerous government regulation and Democratic vote buying schemes, it was, we were told, the confluence of three great unaddressed societal failings: failure of education, failure of energy policy, and the failure of our health care system.  Immediately, the president set about ambitiously forcing his legislative vision on America.

The Tea Party movement was a spontaneous reaction of Americans who recoiled in horror at the Democrat’s statist vision for America.  The virulent and hateful demagoguery suffered by ordinary Americans fed up with fiscal profligacy and government intrusion speaks to the nascent threat that tea parties pose to the Washington elite.  The discontent of summer town hall meetings further solidified opposition against the president and Democrats.  Now, a year after his inauguration was supposed to usher in a generation of Democratic rule, President Obama shows the lowest approval numbers of any first term president entering his second year.

Apologists have plenty of answers for the precipitous fall of presidential approval: Obama’s just too cool; he’s too detached; he’s too darned intellectual.  Some of these do contribute, but never does it seem to occur to most liberals that the simplest answer is the right answer: America is a center right country and Democrats misread dissatisfaction with the former administration for some sweeping mandate.

Looking at the Massachusetts special election this becomes crystal clear.  In bluest of blue Massachusetts, in a seat supposedly reserved for royalty and those enjoying the blessing of liberal nobility, people are rejecting the Obama agenda.  To be sure, should Brown win, we’ll get the standard litany of liberal defenses for Coakley’s loss: She was a poor candidate, she ran a lackluster campaign, Republican power players bla bla bla. It is true that Coakley has run an inept campaign and is not a brilliant candidate, but the issues couldn’t be more crystal clear.  Brown has stated unequivocally that he stands opposed to the president’s agenda and would be the decisive 41st cloture-busting vote.  To pretend that Massachusetts voters are unaware of the wide reaching implications of a Brown win is patently absurd.  The voters know well what is at stake, and yet and still, polls show Brown taking the lead.

Republicans emerged from the 2008 election worse for the wear, but conservatism certainly didn’t.  Voters over correct sometimes.  There was a lot for the average voter to find appealing about Obama’s decidedly Reagan-esque rhetoric.  Every election cycle from now until Armageddon, I’m afraid, will be a rehash version of “who can play the ‘hope and change’ game” better than the other guy.

As I said earlier, the simplest answer is very often the right one.  A plurality of Americans identify themselves as conservatives because they’re conservative.  Now, Republicans just need to give them something to vote for.

Via Espresso Pundit / Powerline

World leaders flying into Copenhagen today to discuss a solution to global warming will first face freezing weather as a blizzard dumped 10 centimeters (4 inches) of snow on the Danish capital overnight…

Denmark has a maritime climate and milder winters than its Scandinavian neighbors. It hasn’t had a white Christmas for 14 years, under the DMI’s definition, and only had seven last century. Temperatures today fell as low as minus 4 Celsius (25 Fahrenheit).

The global warming truthers just can’t catch a break. Even in March of 2009, a global warming protest was hampered by snowy, ‘inclement’ conditions. And these aren’t the only instances of cold weather hindering global warming activists’ strategies.

Maybe, just maybe, the proponents of global warming should finally come to the realization that, if preaching on global warming is your objective, warm weather conditions (such as during summer-time) would be the appropriate time for such diatribes.

Or, maybe not.

- Barry Goldwater