Balance 2008 budget without hocus pocus

Remember when magician David Copperfield made the Empire State Building disappear before a live television audience? The building sure seemed to be gone, but any sane person watching knew the magic was merely an illusion. Same with Michigan's 2007 budget deficit. Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the Legislature seemed to make the $800 million shortfall go away, but even a half-way glance behind the...

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State still unable to rule out layoffs Government shutdown remains on table amid budget shortfall

Gov. Jennifer Granholm still can't rule out temporary layoffs of state workers or a partial government shutdown, a spokeswoman said Tuesday. "We are making progress on resolving the budget crisis, but we haven't finalized how it will all be resolved," spokeswoman Liz Boyd said. "So no final decisions have been made regarding a government shutdown or any word on whether there will be temporary...

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Reforming townships

To their credit, state Democrats have stepped up to the plate with genuine consolidation reforms that could affect most of Michigan's 1,242 townships. Under several Democrat-sponsored bills in the House, townships of fewer than 10,000 residents or those with fewer than 20,000 that do not provide 24-hour police-fire protection would be affected. The measures would require 90 to 95 percent of ...

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School consolidation fails to save Redrawing district lines does little; schools need different incentives

For two years, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has advocated controlling spending in public schools by forcibly consolidating school districts. This year, she wants to pressure districts into consolidating their purchasing and support services. Granholm is betting on the wrong horse. The assumptions underlying Granholm's proposals are that size matters and that bigger is better. Those are reasona...

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No Lip Service: Dems Trade Higher Taxes for Social Programs. Some Democrats are telling voters a hard truth: They will raise taxes

The Democratic presidential candidates want to raise your taxes. Most of them aren't exactly advertising that fact when they talk about their plans for health care, the environment and education. But for a party that has long feared political fallout when talking about taxes, the Democrats' 2008 crop of presidential contenders is showing remarkable frankness in talking about the need for add...

Editor's Note -- Tax and spend, not really a new concept for the Dems. More Social programs is definitly what we need. Hey, let's sponser a national hug your neighbor day and federally fund it! Whata ya think????

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Clinton's Big Tax Hike Senator Eyes a 'Shared Prosperity'

Senator Clinton is pitching herself as the "progressive" candidate for president, proposing to raise taxes on upper-income Americans and eliminate breaks for corporations under an economic plan that is drawing an immediate rebuke from Republicans. In a policy address yesterday in New Hampshire, Mrs. Clinton laid out an economic vision that envisages an expanded role for government as part of ...

Editor's Note -- She is a woman.....based on just that fact, enough said.

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Obama's incomplete health plan

Senator Obama rolled out a health care plan yesterday that he said would drive down spiraling insurance costs and offer coverage to the 47 million Americans who lack it. "We can do this," Mr. Obama told a crowd at the University of Iowa's medical school in Iowa City, according to the Associated Press. "The climate is far different than it was the last time we tried this in the early '90s."

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Party Unfaithful, The Republican implosion

The West Wing of the White House tends to have a funereal stillness, even in the best of times, which these are not. The President's aides walk the narrow corridors with pensive expressions and vigilantly modulated voices. By contrast, Karl Rove's office has an almost party atmosphere. Rove, the President's chief political adviser--the "architect," Bush has called him, of his 2004 victory over Joh...

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A kinder, gentler Giuliani? Tough-talking ex-mayor of New York City calms his temper on campaign trail, even saying 'ma'am.'

ATLANTA -- Oh baby, here it comes. The gray-haired woman raises her hand and compliments the candidate for his Sept. 11 bravery. Then she asks him: Why does so much of the world hate us? Haven't we failed to understand Arab grievances? We misinterpret their word "jihad," which is not necessarily a hostile word. Rudolph William Louis Giuliani III's eyes pop wide. His eyebrows rise. He is ...

Editor's Note -- He is a joke....He is a Libertarian at best. He did a admirable job during 911, but he is no Presidential material. He is socially liberal and I won't back him. I would hope my fellow conservatives will not either. Bring on the Fred!!!!!! (Thompson that is!)

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Enforce existing laws, track illegals to plug nation's leaks

This Memorial Day, after you visit the graves of loved ones and the brave, after you've gone to the parades or lit your barbecues and met with friends, it's time for you to discuss some serious business that's about to get under way in Washington. The Senate is set Tuesday to begin debate on a plan to give millions of illegal aliens legal status as well as sealing our borders. Tell them you ...

Editor's Note -- No Illegals. You want to come here legally fine, but ship the rest back.

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