So much for the Dems’ big tent
Thinking Right’s weekend free-for-all. Pick a topic:
● Soldiers killed at Fort Hood died on the battlefield, killed by an enemy combatant who, astonishingly, managed to evade detection despite obvious clues. This massacre requires in-depth independent investigation.
● If legislators ever needed an object lesson in why they should never cite a particular cause or program as a reason for raising taxes, they got it Sunday. State auditors examined four departments and found that they collected $174 million from 347 “user fees.” But not every dime of “fees” collected went to the particular program — solid waste management, for example. Some went into the general fund to finance higher, more immediate needs. Georgia badly needs a constitutional amendment to outlaw the practice of linking taxes that are disguised as “user fees” to a specific program. Special interests consider the money “mine” and some programs are awash in designated cash, while others of higher priority starve to death.
● The two Georgia Democrats who voted against Nancy Pelosi’s health care heist — Jim Marshall of Macon and John Barrow of Savannah — have one thing in common. They’re vulnerable to defeat when the impact of the public option and the hidden and indirect taxes hit home. Want to know why the nation is so polarized? It starts with redistricting. Only two of Georgia’s congressmen — Marshall and Barrow — can be defeated by the other party’s nominee. No fix is possible, since some districts are protected from the start by Voting Rights Act interpretations.
● Spencer Banzhaf, an associate professor of economics at Georgia State University, nails the Forbes study, and virtually every other that purports to rank cities and states as best this, worst that, most endangered or most liveable/affordable. Forbes found metro Atlanta to be the nation’s “most toxic” city. Said Banzhaf: “Not unlike U.S. News’ ranking of colleges, Forbes ranking of polluted cities is more entertainment than science.”
● The Left is in a feeding frenzy. The AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department demands that the Obama administration “fix” the airline industry. Unions ask; the administration complies. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood holds a forum, closed to the public and closed to the media, to discuss the state of the industry and a business model that critics allege will “undermine safety.” The solution, of course, is the auto industry model. Seize the airlines and hand ownership over to their unions. What the industry needs is a healthy and growing free-market economy.
● MARTA may have pocketed a “profit” of $119 million for “selling” track and trains to help rich investors avoid paying federal income taxes, but if there was ever an example of what is wrong with the nation’s tax and financial system, this was it. Nothing built with public money should later be “sold” or used as collateral for borrowing by any state or local government or agency unless title and possession pass to a third party. The only beneficiaries here are those who get rich by getting government in debt and bureaucrats trying to avoid financial reality.
● Toll roads are welcomed — so long as the tolls are on new construction, are eliminated when the debt is paid and are not being levied to finance unrelated transportation projects that can’t be justified by honest, cost-benefit analysis. The state Department of Transportation is considering toll projects on I-285, I-20, Ga. 400, northern I-75 and I-575 and Sugarloaf Parkway in Gwinnett County.
● Have no dog in the fight in the Atlanta mayoral runoff, but it is quite telling that the state Democratic Party intervened in the race. And now former Gov. Roy Barnes takes sides. This party’s big tent could be pitched at Piedmont Park. Sorry, wrong ward. That’s Mary Norwood’s district. Make that Woodruff Park.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
26 comments Add your comment
@@
November 12th, 2009
8:46 pm
You ain’t kiddin’, Jim….INDEPENDENT being the key word in the investigation. A lot of blame to go around. You could almost call those within our govt and military accessories to the crime. After the fact, will political correctness be meeting ol’ sparky? I sure hope so…time for people to accept the fact that we’re all adults here…if not yet, you will be. Just grow up already.
Say what? The state legislature is re-distributing my tax dollars among themselves? Allow me….every penny of it DID go to waste – management “with standing”.
Most toxic? How about the entire country is toxic. The American taxpayers are well on their way to becoming “eggstinked” given the wind coming out of Washington.
So typical of politicians and their parties. Barnes scratches Reed’s back….Reed scratches Barnes’s in the upcoming governor’s race. Since it’s Barnes, the teachers will be left scratching their own heads.
I hope your living it up in retirement, Jim. Never let a good thing pass you by!
mmm, mmm, mmm Barack the LIAR Obama
November 12th, 2009
10:16 pm
Wow, a liberal white politician backing the black candidate? Hmmmmmmm, who saw that coming?
ScareusagainJim
November 12th, 2009
11:46 pm
“Nancy Pelosi’s health care heist”? Way to go Jim. Beat up a woman and call her a thief. Such courage you show. Pathetic.
Shannon, M.Div.
November 12th, 2009
11:57 pm
Just the headline here cracks me up. This from the party who forced out their own candidate in New York because she wasn’t extremist enough?
Love the ‘enemy combatant’ redefinition…
Anyway, I try to explain something to my conservative friends, and maybe it will help you here. You know that complete and utter mistrust of government that you have? We liberals have that too–only it’s directed at corporations. There are plenty of examples of corporations gone wrong just as there are governments gone wrong. Why? Because both of them are made up of people, and some people, whether they are business owners or governmental officials, are corrupt and stupid. What you think should be the fix depends on whether you genuinely believe in Adam Smith’s invisible hand–that if everyone pursues her/his own selfish interests, society will be better off… or if you follow a more classically liberal position of government as vehicle for societal protections.
What I wish both sides would grasp is that this philosophical difference doesn’t make either side “idiots,” and talking past each other isn’t convincing. My “Marxist” rhetorical analysis of capitalist excesses isn’t going to convince you, and you throwing talk radio dittohead messages of government incompetence isn’t going to convince me. It’s a *philosophical* difference, and both sides have factual ammunition for their philosophies. Of course, the real world isn’t so simple. There is such a thing as government waste, as Wooten points out at every opportunity. On the other hand, businesses aren’t run by saints–check out executive greed even in the face of demonstrable shareholder loss, increasing numbers of Americans with no health insurance run into bankruptcy by our current system, and corporations firing folks who have worked for them for years in order to hire cheaper, younger people… both lists go on and on and on (too far).
Eh, I’ll place a wager that no conservative is going to read this and say “huh. Those are some good points.” But I’m a liberal, meaning I have to try to dialogue.
clyde
November 13th, 2009
5:34 am
Good morning Jim,
The enemy combatant got through because it’s impossible to get by his religion.Paper work and fear of a legal case of discrimination were his allies.
The tax collecting of user fees simplifies book keeping.We collected x number of dolars and we spent them somewhere;we think;will be the new financial statement.
Nancy Pelosi’s health care heist.That’s a gem,Jim.
Subbing for Prof.Banzhaf,I’ll say that Forbes ranking of cities parallels the Norwegians awarding of Nobel Peace Prizes.Mystifying,to say the least.
The car companies were handed to the unions because the people in charge weren’t capable of running them.The unions couldn’t possibly do worse.
There are only two ways to get rich,Jim,the government or religion.
A toll near where I live doubled after the debt was extinguished.Check my financial statement above for an accounting of the money being collected.
Ms.Norwood came within 4 percentage points of being Mayor of Atlanta.
Meanwhile,back to retirement.I certainly hope you’re enjoying yours,Jim.See you next week.
Chuechill's MOM
November 13th, 2009
5:47 am
How do they find 52% that want to reelect their current crook? Johnny the big spending, big government LIBERAL has to go.
One year out from midterm elections, anti-incumbent sentiment is approaching its highest level in two decades, according to a poll released Wednesday by Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
The survey found that 53 percent of Americans said most members of Congress should not be reelected, compared with just 34 percent who said most members should be reelected.
Fifty-two percent would like to see their own representatives reelected in 2010, while 29 percent want them out of office, according the Pew poll.
Road Scholar
November 13th, 2009
6:34 am
User fee taxes should be spent on the appropriate assigned program. Jim are you against the gas tax? How would the transportation facilities be funded then if you are against them?
As for fixing avaiation, may your next flight load up, leave the concourse and sit….and sit…for hours! I won’t request you have a mid air collision though even though the system and its software are whoafully antiquated. Airline taxes should be used to increase safety, and fliers rules for the airlines should be implemented.
As for toll roads, how do you feel with them built on state/federal owned right of way property. If they aren’t, how does the consotium gain access to the property needing condemnation by the government to have ownership?
Gagrunt
November 13th, 2009
6:39 am
Shannon, M.Div. – maybe you should find a place to live that operates under your perfered form of government and see how well you life it “in real life.” Sounds to me like you’re full of theory but short on experience.
Aquagirl
November 13th, 2009
7:32 am
If Shannon, M. Div, has lived through the recent government bailouts, I think she’s had plenty of experience. As have the rest of us.
Voice of Reason
November 13th, 2009
7:36 am
Absolutely no roadways should be allowed to be turned into toll roads. Why? Because we, the taxpayers, have already paid for these roads. Thus, they should be freely available to everyone. If an entity wants to build new roads and manage them as toll roads, then let them take the risk using their own money.
clyde
November 13th, 2009
7:51 am
Shannon,M.Div.
Since both Jim Wooten and I predate the crop of conservative radio hosts,we have dibs on complaining about government incompetence and like to think,however naively,that they learned their trade from us.
Jimmy62
November 13th, 2009
7:53 am
They’ve already collected more than enough money to pay for the 400 toll, yet they are still collecting. That’s despite promises from politicians who started it that the toll would go way when it was paid for. The bonds they are paying off have due dates, and even though they have enough money to pay them off, the evil politicians (and yes, they are stealing money from me, that makes them evil) are still collecting till the bonds are due, and using the money for other things.
The 400 example proves that unless we make it a written law that the toll goes away as soon as enough money is collected to pay it off, we shouldn’t have more tolls. It comes down to one thing- We cannot trust politicians, especially when it involves something long term which may not come to fruition till they are out of office. They lie, lie, lie.
"Charles", The Original
November 13th, 2009
8:40 am
Only twenty years ago, members of our organization realized that WASPs had serious problems within their institutions, government and the private sector. I distinctly remember the topic of conversation regarding a mainstay of institutions in government; “if it’s fixed, break it.” Your superiors were instructed by only God knows who to allow incompetent areas in sections of a department to remain as is, and to reorganize areas in sections that were operating at peak performance. The former was handsomely compensated, and the latter was practically ignored until it was altered.
Initially we were inclined to believe the illogical tendencies in the workplace were rooted in adults who had been born into integration, the matrix, both white and black. As you know post 1970, white children weren’t reared with the benefit of unadulterated European culture and community. And Negro children were reared without the benefit of the Negro community and culture. Each is conditioned to believe that child rearing in alloyed communities and cultures is preferable to the unalloyed. We reasoned that the twisted logic must be the source of the pathology each of us faced at work. And we were right in part.
When elderly persons chimed in and the discussion neared its end, we concluded that the whole of the pathology is as old as the Bible observed in the Tower of Babel, and as modern as the New World Order revealed in the 21century. It’s the devil and his imps attempting to eradicate the ancient order and authority of God Almighty vis-à-vis with the new order and authority of so-called educated integrationist men and women. For nearly forty years, the latter, sheer evil has metastasized unmolested throughout most institutions in the United States. And Americans find themselves at this very hour in the valley of decision.
An in-depth independent investigation of soldiers killed at Fort Hood by an enemy combatant who, astonishingly, managed to evade detection despite obvious clues is meaningless unless it’s a strategy initiated by the people of God. My advice to everyone is, don’t challenge this evil except God Almighty be with you.
Cutty
November 13th, 2009
9:28 am
As if Cheney never had backroom meetings with energy barons to write the nation’s energy policies. Pot meet kettle.
If you’re so right about this, then tell Sonny to shut down the toll booth on 400 near Lenox.
How many of Georgia’s republican congressmen can be defeated by the other party?
Mary Norwood is a closet republican who claims to be independent for political expediency.
The Anti-Wooten
November 13th, 2009
9:58 am
Big tent? That’s priceless coming from one of the cheerleaders of the Party of No. Those that need not apply:
No gay people
No non-christians
No person opposed to the death penalty
No person in favor of affordable healthcare coverage
No person that believes in a woman’s right to control over her body
No evil muslims
No persons that think the War on Drugs is a bad idea
Well you probably get the idea, although, that’s a huge assumption on my part.
Jim, stupid and oblivious are no way to go through life. Perhaps you shold visit one of Palin’s death panels and get some relief.
booger
November 13th, 2009
10:33 am
A much more serious case of bait and switch on taxes is found at the federal level. Madam Pelosi’s health care plan calls for tax increases to pay for the plan to begin immediately. The plan in the meantime will not be implemented fully for four to five years. Will there be a special account to hold the health care taxes? No. they will go straight to the general fund to be used for whatever congress chooses.
This is a deception and fraud for tax payers on two levels. First is the obvious, these funds which will be collected as part of the health care program, will not be used for that purpose. The second is that the pricing model for the health care program includes ten yers of tax collections and only five to six years of health care reform programs.
The cost of this program will sink us.
retiredds
November 13th, 2009
12:29 pm
Jim, just to balance your reporting. You speak of the legislature needing to outlaw linking taxes that are disguised as “user fees”. I agree wholeheartedly, it should be done away with. However, we have had a Republican legislature and executive for the last seven years and this kind of stuff continues. How is that Jim? Could it be the disguise you speak of, in public Republicans are totally against raising taxes, but in the darkness of the back room, user fees are allowed. Sounds better doesn’t it.
Secondly you speak of the feeding frenzy of the AFL-CIO over fixing the airline industry and the Transportation Secretary holding a closed door forum. Yes, I agree that is not right. But Jim, your colleague Jay Bookman sites (in today’s AJC), right below your article, that our own Governor is holding water meetings where “the press and public are barred from attending”. How is it that you didn’t see fit to report on this? Seems to me that a closed to the press and public meeting is what it is (whether initiated by a Democrat or Republican). So how about rewriting your headline to read, “So much for the Dems’ (and Repubs’) big tent”.
dagwood bumstead
November 13th, 2009
12:51 pm
Jim, are you prepared to place some of the blame for Maj. Hassan on the Bush Administration? Will we finally get an admission from you that Dubya made a mistake? Or will you do your usual dance and blame it all on Obama and liberals and leftists? And calling him an enemy combatant, low even for you. But I’m sure you’ll go lower still as long as you keep writing.
The Stupak amendment should be enough evidence for you of the Dem’s big tent. The District 23 fiasco in NY State should be evidence enough that the GOP tent is basically a pup tent right now. Frankly, I don’t even get whatever point you might be pitching in the last paragraph. Doesn’t really have one, does it, other than to perhaps show what you believe is cleverness?
Hillbilly Deluxe
November 13th, 2009
1:18 pm
Voice of Reason @ 7:36
Very good point. Of course, they don’t want to risk their own money; they sort of side step that part of the free market that they supposedly love.
Matilda
November 13th, 2009
1:28 pm
GOP Big Tent Democracy in action: Mike Pence, (R – Indiana) “It’s wrong to take the taxpayer dollars of millions of Americans and use it for a procedure they find morally offensive. In the Congress of the United States, we have a responsibility to respect the moral beliefs of the majority of the American people…”
But of course the majority of Americans who favor the public option can go *bleep* themselves. Thanks again, Jon Stewart, for showing us how our Representative Republic works.
retiredds
November 13th, 2009
2:21 pm
I see that Jim must be having a difficult time coming up with a response from several of us. It is hard to rationalize the duplicity of the Republican right. Jim, I learned a long time ago that if you are going to disparage another (person, party, group), I should at the least be “squeaky clean” myself. So, keep on with the Democrats are bad/Republicans are good scenario so we can get our laughs.
Chris Broe
November 13th, 2009
3:16 pm
“Have no dog in the fight”
I’ve always got a dog in the fight, a stone in my pocket, and an iron in the fire. I keep abreast, I stay armed, and my eye’s on the prize. I live by the code, I love ‘em and leave ‘em and I call ‘em as I see ‘em………
sorry, I love cliches as much as the next man.
“Soldiers killed at Fort Hood died on the battlefield, killed by an enemy combatant who, astonishingly, managed to evade detection despite obvious clues. This massacre requires in-depth independent investigation.”
Wooten’s probably right about Major Hasan. Psychoanalysis of post traumatic stress disorder usually happens AFTER a tour of duty in a battle zone, not before. Could this be the first case of pre-battle fatigue? Booby trapping a rorschach test is the new IED? (Lie down on the couch and let me add to the skeletons in your closet).
I’m not willing to give the army a black eye based on the first blush of information about this massacre. The Ft. Hood disaster was either a disgruntled bi-polar major-gone-postal, or an attack by Al Queda.
I’m glad we’ve got Freud and Sun Tzu’s son, Jim Wooten, to hazard a guess in this minefield. It’s one thing to harbor resentment against radical Islam, it’s another thing to foment rebellion and treason in the armed forces by instilling doubt about the good men and women serving this great country.
Nobody questions Wooten’s patriotism, but I’ll respectfully wait till the investigation is over………
Public Option's Doing Swell
November 13th, 2009
8:13 pm
House Speaker Glenn Richardson has indicatged the Republican meme for health care by attempting suicide Sunday night, and one major question is why law enforcement did not alert a physician to issue a 1021 to hospitalize Richardson so that he could not do harm to himself and to designate the best possible treatment for him.
This is a republican paradigm for bad healthcare Perhaps Richardson was depresed because white hick Republicans are the only legislature in the US to refuse to fund the 8th largest Metro transit system in the U.S.
MikeB
November 14th, 2009
1:21 pm
Jim:
How is it that the conviction of Congressman Jefferson (D- LA) got no coverage in the AJC?
MF Intown
November 19th, 2009
2:53 pm
Sir, I believe you have the user fee policy recommendation exactly backwards. We need a constitutional amendment to keep the revenue collected from user fees spent exclusively on the associated program rather than the other way around. General fund revenues should be collected transparently as taxes only.
On the subject of toll roads, I could agree with the principle that funds collected should be re-invested in the efficient operation of the facility in question, but that would logically include perpetual resurfacing & maintenenance costs, as well as subsidizing transit operations in the same corridor. There simply is no such thing as “paying off” the costs of a road.
As with using toll revenue to make the frequency of transit service attractive enough to lure erstwhile drivers, tolls – like any prices for other goods and services – serve to ration finite resources in the face of virtually infinite demand. Keeping tolls, especially if they can be adjusted to maintain flowing conditions during peak consumption periods, after initial capital costs to construct a roadway have been payed down, would help maintain the value of that investment.
So much for the Dems’ big tent | ATL Report - Atlanta News and Gossip
December 16th, 2009
5:06 am
[...] and some programs are awash in designated cash, while others of … Read more Here So much for the Dems’ big tent By jwooten Yaab Tagged as: enemy combatant, Fort Hood, free-for-all, Georgia, independent [...]