Tag: stimulus

Work Now solves the Wrong Problem the Wrong Way

Posted by Eric – July 16, 2010

President Obama sprinkled some more money from Heaven his Stash. The Work Now program offered by the WKWIB subsidizes the wages of unemployed parents for a two month period. Julie Andrews claims these employees are ‘free’ to the employers who hire these temporary workers but this is not true and it never will be true. First of all, the five million dollars used to fund this program had to be confiscated from other businesses that haven’t failed yet. There is no net economic gain to moving money from one pocket to another; in fact this transaction results in a net loss because the government takes a dollar from Company A and gives a dime to Company B. Second, companies don’t need help in finding employees. Human Resources is already jammed full of job applications that will never get interviewed because they have no plans to hire for the foreseeable future. Companies only hire new employees when there is demand for new product and not a moment sooner. If the Democrats were interested in creating jobs they could do so at the stroke of a pen.

Jindal vs. Obama: Time to End the Drilling Moratorium
Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Continues Killing Jobs in the Gulf
EPA Regulations Cause Drought in California

End the Moratorium Now! America has all of the oil we need if we remove the regulations that prevent us from drilling.

The Unemployed Need Jobs Not Stimulus

Posted by Eric – June 16, 2010

In a blog post published by Governor Beshear he justifies paying out unemployment claims despite the program coming unglued from its intended purpose.

Few things are as devastating to a family as losing a job. Without income, almost everything they need for both short-term survival and long-term stability is at risk: Food, medicines, clothes, shelter, heat, water, transportation, education … everything.

Since 1935, the Unemployment Insurance program has sustained our families when loss of employment threw them into disarray through no fault of their own.

If some states are still paying out benefits at 99 weeks then this stops being temporary. Extended periods of unemployment make government benefits more appealing. Eventually, idleness and government subsidy become a way of life. Motivation and work ethic are destroyed because the productive workers see their neighbors receiving benefits that they do not.

Entitlement. In a word, we have too many idle nitwits believing they are owed something because they belong to a protected class of voters.

April commented earlier on the blog

You say limited and I say where do we draw the line? I am sure people years ago panicked over the thought of a public school system. Or Public roads, fire departments, police departments etc. I am sure they panicked the same way they are now over the health care situation. Now though, we wouldn’t know what to do without those institutions. Why will a Public option health care be so much different?

OK, April, how much debt is too much? The Democrats have spent us into a hole from which it will be very difficult to pull ourselves out of. If our nation is to survive, we  must immediately put governments at all levels on a crash diet. Some people like Governor Chris Christie get it (No fat jokes! Christie is the real deal.).

Interest-free loans and Unicorns

Posted by Eric – April 14, 2010

Again with the “interest-free” nonsense. The new middle school is going to be built with interest-free bonds funded with Federal stimulus dollars.

IF THE DISTRICT HAD USED A TRADITIONAL BOND PROGRAM TO FINANCE THE NEW SCHOOL, THE FINAL BILL WOULD HAVE BEEN ROUGHLY 41-MILLION DOLLARS, BUT WITH THE 14-MILLION DOLLARS SAVED FROM NOT PAYING INTEREST AND THE 7-MILLION DOLLARS EARNED IN INTEREST FROM THE ESCROW FUND, THE NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL WILL BE BUILT AT A COST OF 20-MILLION DOLLARS TO THE TAXPAYERS OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY.

The money being spent here doesn’t magically appear because somebody chased down a leprechaun and stole his pot of gold. The money is generated via three methods all of which are very bad for us. The first is through selling U.S. Treasuries that earn interest to the investor. We already have a crushing level of debt; we can’t afford to borrow another penny period! The second is through the printing of paper currency. The unregulated printing of paper demeans the value of all dollars in circulation. The third and final method is through direct taxation. Which will be the number one topic on April 15th.

WKDZ normally provides excellent news coverage but this story is really no better than if the station had reported unicorns flying through the streets of Hopkinsville. The concept of an interest-free loan does not stand up to any kind of smell test at all. To borrow money is never free unless someone else agrees to eat the cost of not charging interest.

Get Green, Go Broke

Posted by Eric – April 7, 2010

straw hut

Stimulus-funded Vegetative Dwelling

A few years ago I got on the CFL bandwagon believing they were a good idea. Today, the house has been fully installed with CFL bulbs. They suck big time. CFL bulbs are not any brighter than incandescent bulbs. I don’t believe they burn long enough to be a cost saver. That’s the general problem with everything that is labeled as “Green” and so called alternative energy.

At the state level I wish it were only faulty CFLs that Gov. Beshear was granting money for. Governor Beshear’s plan is to spend $500,000 on some incredibly expensive ‘improvements’ to an abandoned building. The money is meant to convert a larger building into a new firestation for Russellville. A new firestation would be a wonderful thing except for the unnecessary embellishments.

The new station will be fitted with the latest sustainable materials and technologies mandated by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design U.S. Green Building Council standards, including a vegetative roof, wind turbine, solar panels and recycled roof rainwater.

The vegetative roof, wind turbine, and solar panels are all superficial additions. I don’t believe for a second that these changes will ever pay for themselves. Ultimately, Kentucky doesn’t have the money to pay for this because Beshear is borrowing it from Federal stimulus funds. The Federal government doesn’t have the money because the Treasury was emptied of all value many months ago. The actual source of the half-million dollars to build this new firestation will be either borrowing from foreign creditors or simple printing of worthless paper.

CCBOE Gettin’ Stimulated

Posted by Eric – October 4, 2009

IN OTHER BUSINESS TODAY (FRIDAY), THE BOARD VOTED TO AMEND THE 2009-2010 WORKING BUDGET TO REFLECT A 3.3 MILLION DOLLAR CUT TO THE STATE S.E.E.K. FUNDING, WHICH WILL BE REPLACED WITH AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT FUNDS. SUPERINTENDENT BRADY LINK AND ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT RIM WATSON TOLD THE BOARD THE CHANGE IN FUNDING WOULD NOT ALTER ANY PROGRAMS PLANNED FOR STUDENTS.

The Board of Education is feeling stimulated. Have you received your stimulus yet? What this story tells me is that the BoE will be in-debted to Obama for about $3 Million. I would be suspicious of any lesson plans that leave blanks for “praise Obama” sessions. It would have been better to cut whatever was lost when the state removed that S.E.E.K. money and do without. Speaking of doing without… it doesn’t mean taking food from the mouths of babes.

When teachers crank up the computer lab’s air conditioning at Central Elementary School, someone must plop a bucket in the hallway to catch the condensation water that starts falling from the gaping hole in the ceiling.At nearby Fannie Bush Elementary School, dozens of desks are pushed together in classrooms nearly 20 percent smaller than recommended. The 275 students share one set of boys and girls bathrooms. Some classes are held out back in rotting, wind-rattled trailers.

It is unacceptable that some students must go to school in sub-standard conditions. However, we should ask why can’t those school districts afford to build new schools sooner.

Bluegrass Politics

Meanwhile, thousands of children started classes this fall at crumbling, cramped schools. This comes 20 years after the state Supreme Court ruled in a landmark school-funding decision that “students must be given equal educational opportunities, regardless of economic status or place of residence.”

The new Christian County Middle School is expected to cost $22 Million. For that, the new school will have every technological advantage possible. Lesser school districts simply aren’t able to build such a monstrosity. I believe the attitude of equal experiences for everyone bankrupts smaller districts that can’t afford the gadgetry of larger districts. Remove the requirement to be equal and districts might build schools without Internet (SHOCKER!!), but they might have better success focusing on their reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic.