simpson316's blog
Posted at 11:45am on Jul. 10, 2008 Public-Private Partnerships
By simpson316
The Future for Missouri (And Any Other State that Wants Them)
Rapidly increasing gas prices are hurting consumers everywhere. Missouri is no exception. One of the effects (I’ll let the reader decide for themselves if it is positive or negative) is that people have begun to drive less. Less driving leads to less gas purchased. Less purchased gas equals less state revenue via the gas sales tax. This has lead to an interesting dilemma for many states on how to fund road projects, bridges, and other transportation projects. States are searching for alternatives.
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Posted at 11:51pm on Jul. 2, 2008 Government Run Healthcare: In “Crisis”
By simpson316
Allow me to introduce you to Claude Castonguay. Mr. Castonguay is known as the father of Canadian Medicare. In the 1960s he was tasked by the Canadian government to examine the state of Canada’s health care system. After the Castonguay-Nepveu Commission on Health Care and Services released its report, the government of Quebec made sweeping changes to the health care system. The control of the health care system was removed from the hands of the clergy and placed in the care of the Quebec government.
Over the course of the last four decades since the report has been issued, the governments in Canada have continued to maintain their hold on the system. As a result, Canadian hospitals, clinics, and doctors offices have seen astounding wait times for visits, surgeries, etc. To Mr. Castonguay’s credit, he has taken note of these problems. Mr. Castonguay has again been asked to review the state of the health care system. This time, his recommendations are very different.
Four decades later, as the chairman of a government committee reviewing Quebec health care this year, Castonguay concluded that the system is in "crisis."
"We thought we could resolve the system's problems by rationing services or injecting massive amounts of new money into it,[ed. - sound familiar?]" says Castonguay. But now he prescribes a radical overhaul: "We are proposing to give a greater role to the private sector so that people can exercise freedom of choice."
“Freedom of choice.”
What an absolutely phenomenal concept. In those three small words, Mr. Castonguay has summed the biggest argument against universal health care. When the government controls, there is no freedom of choice. As American citizens, freedom is a virtue that we hold very dear to our hearts. Look to this upcoming weekend when we will celebrate 232 years of our struggle to maintain and promote freedom. Heed the message of Mr. Castonguay: “give a greater role to the private sector.” Don’t allow the proponents of universal health care to take away our freedom of choice.
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Posted at 12:22am on Jun. 29, 2008 Dem Party Unity Continues to Suffer
By simpson316
Two Prominent NH Dems Join Team McCain
At a time when Senator Obama is trying to rally his party to his side, he loses two key New Hampshire Democrats to team McCain. Jim McConaha and Valery Mitchell have joined Senator McCain’s campaign to serve as co-chairs of “Democrats for McCain”. From the press release:
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Posted at 2:43am on May 23, 2008 Mitt Romney Launches Free and Strong America PAC
By simpson316
Not to be outdone by another former GOP candidate for President, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney has launched the Free and Strong America PAC. The purpose of the organization is:
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Posted at 1:59am on May 7, 2008 A Conservative Call to Arms
By simpson316
With Senator Barack Obama all but wrapping up his nomination, it is time for conservatives to prepare for the battle ahead. I will not lie: We face an uphill battle in this election. Our current President faces all time historic lows in approval ratings. The Republican name is sour. We are in the middle of an increasingly unpopular war. But despite all of this, I am optimistic for the future of the Republican Party and the upcoming elections. Why?
Read on.
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Posted at 11:17am on May 2, 2008 Missouri One Ups the Feds
By simpson316
In national politics, there has been much discussion about Senator John McCain's (R-Az) proposal for a federal gas tax holiday. Well, the State of Missouri has just moved one step closer to getting this done. Yesterday, the Missouri Fiscal Review Committee passed the measure on to the general assembly with a recommendation to pass the bill. [Summary of bill here] It looks like Missouri wants to do some good for its citizens this summer. Does anyone else want to step up?
There is more to the bill to be happy about too. Read on.
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Posted at 3:06pm on May 1, 2008 Eminent Domain: Sticking It To The Minorities and Poor
By simpson316
David T. Beito and Ilya Somin have an op-ed piece in the Kansas City Star titled Battle over eminent domain is another civil rights issue. In the piece, they discuss how eminent domain abuse has had a disproportionate impact on minorities and the lower class. It is easy to see how that would be the case.
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Posted at 3:36pm on Apr. 19, 2008 We Cling to Our Guns, Do We?
By simpson316
[H/T Marginal Revolution]
By now everyone has heard of the “bitter” comments that Senator Barack Obama made to a group of über-liberal donors in San Francisco, CA. Senator Obama claims that Americans “cling” to religion, guns and anti-immigration when they feel like they have been ignored by the government. Arthur C. Brooks, in an article in the Wall Street Journal (available here), points out that in respect to the gun issue, it just isn’t true.
Read On.
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Posted at 3:14pm on Apr. 18, 2008 One Solution for Government Entities Facing Budget Problems
By simpson316
How One Missouri City Made a Change to Save Taxpayers Millions
In 2003, The United States Congress created a novel idea in health care funding: The Health Savings Account. It was included in the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003. [I like to refer to it as the good part of the bill seeing as how Part D has proven to be a budget disaster for the government.] Under the new plan, a consumer (or employer) purchases a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) and opens a health savings account (HSA).
The HSA has been commonly referred to as a “medical retirement fund” because of its similarities to an IRA (or 401k in employer purchased situations). Money that is deposited into the account is tax-deductible, reducing the consumer’s tax liability. The account grows on a tax-deferred basis (You don’t have to worry about getting a 1099 each year to file with your taxes). When money is withdrawn from the account for qualifying medical expenses (see IRS Publication 502 for a complete list of qualifying expenses) the money is tax-free. The account is owned by the consumer (important in the case of employer-sponsored plans) which means that they are able to take the money with them if they leave the employer.
How does this save government entities money? Read On.
Posted in Taxes — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 12:52pm on Apr. 15, 2008 Barack Obama: Half Right (Because I’m Feeling Generous)
By simpson316
Much has been made over the last few days about the comments that Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) made to a group of über-wealthy fundraisers in San Francisco. Much of the focus of ire (from both the right side of the political spectrum and Senator Clinton supporters) revolves around the idea that Senator Obama believes that people “cling to guns and religion” when times are bad (See link here for text and mp3). Much has also been discussed about Senator Obama’s dismissal of the voters in rural Pennsylvania as racist (See link here for text and video). As I stated in the title, I’m feeling a little generous today. I’m willing to give Obama a pass. I’m willing to believe that he was simply misunderstood and taken out of context as he and his supporters are now claiming.
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Posted at 11:47am on Apr. 11, 2008 Missouri Continues To Be An Important Front In the Eminent Domain Issue
By simpson316
Back in 2005, the city of Sunset Hills, MO (a suburb of St. Louis) attracted national attention as one of the first cases of eminent domain following the Supreme Court's decision in Kelo v. New London. Amid all of the public scrutiny the deal between Novus Development and the city of Sunset Hills fell apart.
The state of Missouri, under Gov Matt Blunt, attempted to react to Kelo. He created the Missouri Task Force on Eminent Domain. The goal of the task force was to:
-Study the use of eminent domain, especially when the proposed public use of the property being acquired by eminent domain is not directly owned or primarily used by the general public.
-Analyze current state and federal laws governing eminent domain and recommending any changes that would enhance the effectiveness of these laws.
-Develop a definition of "public use" that allows state and local governments to use eminent domain when there is a clear and direct public purpose while at the same time ensuring that individual property rights are preserved.
-Develop criteria to be applied by state and local governments when the use of eminent domain is being proposed.
-Recommend specific eminent domain legislation for possible consideration by the Missouri General Assembly.
Under the recommendations of the task force, the State of Missouri passed legislation in direct disagreement with Kelo. It affirmed the notion that "public use" did not constitute an increase in revenue for the municipality. Unfortunately, I can't say that this law has solved the problem here.
Read on.
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Posted at 11:20pm on Apr. 7, 2008 BLACKFIVE.net Has An Advance Copy of Gen. Petraeus's Remarks to Congress
By simpson316
He's got the whole thing here.
My favorite quote right out of the blocks is this scathing response to Senator Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) "suspension of disbelief" remarks the last time that he appeared before Congress.
My last testimony provoked claims that disbelief must be willfully suspended in order to accept it. The uniform I wear precludes me from answering such slurs directly, but fortunately the facts about our successes in Iraq do a better job of refuting the naysayers and defeatists than I would.
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Posted at 12:10am on Apr. 2, 2008 You Look Like a Guy Caught Smuggling Reptiles In His Pants
By simpson316
You know, if McCain could deliver all of his speeches like this, he really has a shot at shaking his image of being stiff. It's stuff like this that makes it really hard to want to dislike him.
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Posted at 3:35am on Mar. 27, 2008 Those Heartless Religious Folks Are At It Again!
By simpson316
Okay, not my opinion. I'm sitting here on Redstate tonight debating whatever with whomever. I have CNN Headline News on in the background. I see the following headline on Nancy Grace's program: Girl dies, parents pick prayer over medical care. FoxNews has the story here.
I'll recap the story as best I can. The girl's name is Madeline Neumann. Her parents are extremely religious people. Madeline had diabetes. Over the course of the last couple of weeks the family reports that Madeline had been suffering from nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst, loss of appetite and weakness. Her family, as a result of their religious beliefs, shuns medical intervention. They believed that through the power of prayer that their daughter would be healed. Unfortunately for the Neumann's, Madeline died on Sunday from complications of her diabetes.
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Posted at 10:47pm on Mar. 17, 2008 While we have been distracted...[Updated]
By simpson316
The last week has seen many very newsworthy items hit the front page here and many of the blogs. We spent many a gleeful hour discussing the demise of Eliot Spitzer (D-NY Gov). We have also spent quite a fair amount of time discussing the Obama/Wright relationship. We have also read blackhedd's reporting about the Bear Stearns financial problem and subsequent purchase by JP Morgan. What we haven't seen is much in the way of what has gone on in Congress. I'll do what I can to put a few important stories in front of your eyes.
Read On.
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