We are buying trains?

This was Governor Doyle's big announcement????

We are buying two trains for $47 million dollars????

Can someone explain why?

The new trains will be tooling around on the Hiawatha line, that already exists????

MJS

Wisconsin will purchase two trains from a Spanish manufacturer that plans to establish assembly and maintenance facilities in the state, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Friday morning.

Talgo Inc. is expected to create about 80 manufacturing and maintenance jobs in Wisconsin.

Locations of the assembly and maintenance facilities haven't been chosen yet, but a statement from Doyle said they're likely to be located in south-central or southeastern Wisconsin. Antonio Perez, chief executive officer and president of Talgo Inc., the company's U.S. subsidiary, said it has scouted locations in Janesville and Milwaukee.

The two 14-car Talgo train sets, which will cost the state $47 million, will replace cars now used on Amtrak's Milwaukee-to-Chicago Hiawatha Service. They will boost the capacity of each Hiawatha train from 350 to 420 passengers. Hiawatha ridership jumped 24% last year, to 766,167

Er...We cannot fill the Hiawatha line as it is, but we are going to invest another $47 Million?

Who's bright idea was it to use taxpayer funds to buy two trains we do not need and place it on a failing rail line???

Oh that is right, it is Governor Doyle's not so bright idea.

Sorry, but creating 80 jobs is not a good enough reason to buy two trains we do not need. Let's see, $47 million divided by 80 jobs equals $587,500 a piece. Oh my goodness! 80 jobs, that's it!

PS. Why won't the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel post the actually cost for the trains
($47 Million)????

Oh, I can answer that question...it is because the liberal newspaper does not want you to actually know how much you will be spending for these new jobs.

It is time for the truth, Mr. President

If President Bush has flopped around and lead Americans to believe that there would be a gigantic boon in job creation because of his policies, the liberal media would be in utter hysterics by now.

President Obama promised during his campaign that he knew how to handle the economy and Republicans did not. Now, the stimulus was an utter failure based on the promises President Obama made.



Every week tens of thousands of more Americans lose their jobs.

President Obama has changed his tune. How is this country going to survive 4 years of this?

Obama outlaws private health insurance

Sure, Obama says Americans can choose whatever health care plan they want and it does not have to be government options.

Of course, President Obama has forgotten to inform you that you are not allowed to a new private insurance plan or change your current insurance plan.

IBD

When we first saw the paragraph Tuesday, just after the 1,018-page document was released, we thought we surely must be misreading it. So we sought help from the House Ways and Means Committee.

It turns out we were right: The provision would indeed outlaw individual private coverage. Under the Orwellian header of "Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage," the "Limitation On New Enrollment" section of the bill clearly states:

"Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day" of the year the legislation becomes law.

So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won't be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.

From the beginning, opponents of the public option plan have warned that if the government gets into the business of offering subsidized health insurance coverage, the private insurance market will wither. Drawn by a public option that will be 30% to 40% cheaper than their current premiums because taxpayers will be funding it, employers will gladly scrap their private plans and go with Washington's coverage.

read the rest.

Blithering idiots

A blithering idiotic Congressional Comittee just advanced the awful health care bill while raising taxes on the "rich".

Of course, the idiots passing this legislation seem to have no clue that it is actually the rich that employ the rest of us.

But hey, when it comes to destroying America, the lefties are running at a record pace to accomplish this mission.

The House Ways and Means Committee has passed legislation to revamp health care, approving tax increases on the wealthy to help pay for the plan.

The committee voted 23 to 18 to approve the bill. Three Democrats joined all committee Republicans in voting against the bill.

Over the next decade, the bill would impose $544 billion in new taxes on families making more than $350,000.

The vote came early Friday, more than 16 hours after members started debating dozens of Republican amendments that were ultimately rejected. Republicans complained that the bill would hurt small business owners who pay business taxes on their individual returns. Democrats say the tax increases will affect only 4.1 percent of tax filers who report small business income.

Doyle hides billions of dollars in spending

We have known for years that Governor Doyle has been swiping millions of dollars from segregated funds in order to excessively spend money in other areas. For example, we already knew that Governor Doyle has grabbed millions upon millions from the transportation fund in order to fund his pet projects in education.

A list has been put together by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau showing exactly has much money has been removed from segregated funds and used by Governor Doyle for his pet projects.

Governor Doyle has taken over $2 BILLION and used it for other items than what they were designated for. Money has been taken out of our roads, health care premiums, recycling and much more.

Where has that money gone?

It is time for Doyle to be held accountable for every single dime he has taxed us for and then not used it where he said he would.

Governor Doyle needs to be held accountable for every single dime!!!

Millions in Stimulus $$$ Wasted on Signs

Travel Receipts? What Travel Receipts?

Flowchart: House Democrats' Health Plan

All the shapes that are colored are new government bureaucracy.

And Democrats think this is going to save us money?

Click here to view a larger image.

Wisconsin Deserves Better- An editorial from Candidate for Governor Scott Walker

Wisconsin Deserves Better
By Scott Walker, candidate for Governor

Wisconsin deserves a government that puts the needs of its citizens first, a state that places public safety and the education of its children above the demands of the special interests. We deserve a government that finds new ways to do more with less, not one that looks for new ways to tax families and employers when they can least afford it.

With so many Wisconsin families and employers struggling to make ends meet, it is difficult to understand why Governor Doyle and the legislature would decide to raise taxes and fees by more than $2 billion while increasing new state spending by $3.6 billion.

To make it worse, they are not being honest with the taxpayers.

The Governor says that the budget protects the middle class. In reality, this budget protects government at the expense of our families and employers. It will force families to pay more for property taxes, automobile insurance, nursing home and hospital care, and cell phone use. At the same time, it reduces state funding for law enforcement, local government services, and even allows for the early release of criminals into our communities.

Governor Doyle and legislative leaders say their tax increases are balanced with deep cuts in state spending. However, they actually increased state spending by 6% and included $37 million for legislative pork projects that range from renovating a local opera house to purchasing recycling bins. But even with the deep cuts to public safety and a massive $2 billion tax increase, Wisconsin will be left with a $2 billion deficit in the next state budget.

According to Chief Executive magazine, Wisconsin is ranked as the 43rd best state in the Nation to do business – near the bottom. What have Governor Doyle and legislative leaders done to improve that ranking? They increased the capital gains tax on business investment by $242 million. This will only drive more employers and jobs out of Wisconsin.

We need to take our state in a new direction founded on the principles of limited government, economic growth, and personal freedom.

Through their ingenuity, hard work and determination, the people of Wisconsin have made our state a great place to live, work and raise a family. Our companies are recognized as world leaders in everything from manufacturing motorcycles to making a better bovine. We are famous for our Midwestern work ethic. In fact, Wisconsin once led the nation in reform—changing welfare and providing hope to low income families through education choice and charter schools.

Wisconsinites want government to live within its means and to set spending priorities that reflect their own priorities, rather than seek ever increasing amounts of taxpayer funds for programs that serve few, if any.

It is not enough to tinker around the edges of failed public policy. We need to change the way Madison thinks as well as the way it does business, but I need your help. Together, we can put government back on the side of the people and build a Wisconsin we can believe in again.

Nothing

H/T: Real Debate

National Debt Road Trip

The President snubbed in Russia

Not everyone has the hopey and changey feeling.

Congratulations Prince!

That's our guy!

Congratulations Prince Fielder on winning the Home Run Derby!

Stimulus failure

Check out the CNN goofballs defending the Dems stimulus plan.

"Sunset on Capital Gains taxes" says Congressman Ryan. What are the chances this is going to happen?

More promises from Obama

You promised hope and change, President Obama.

You promised new high paying jobs, President Obama.

You promised over 3 Million jobs for Americans, Mr. President.

You promised 600,000 jobs by the end of the summer, President Obama.

Your administration promised that if the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was rammed through by Congress, even as they failed to take the time to read it, unemployment would not get higher than 8.1%, Mr. President.

Now, in an op-ed written by the President in yesterday's Washington Post, President Obama is telling us the stimulus is working just fine, he is begging us to be patient and he is once again making promises he must now know he cannot keep. See below.

See, the stimulus is working

The swift and aggressive action we took in those first few months has helped pull our financial system and our economy back from the brink.

Please be patient, President Obama begs:

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was not expected to restore the economy to full health on its own but to provide the boost necessary to stop the free fall. So far, it has done that. It was, from the start, a two-year program, and it will steadily save and create jobs as it ramps up over this summer and fall. We must let it work the way it's supposed to, with the understanding that in any recession, unemployment tends to recover more slowly than other measures of economic activity.

If President Bush would have made this statement, his head would have been ripped off by the media. The media would tell us that these are nothing more than excuses. However, President Obama is allowed to get away with this.

The President continues on in the op-ed with making the same promises he made during the campaign and beyond. These are all promises he has yet to keep.

To build that foundation, we must lower the health-care costs that are driving us into debt, create the jobs of the future within our borders, give our workers the skills and training they need to compete for those jobs, and make the tough choices necessary to bring down our deficit in the long run.

"Bring down our deficit in the long run" Is the President kidding?

No President in American history has spent money faster than President Obama.

No President in American history has created more debt than President Obama.

President Obama has failed to deliver on his promises and yet he continues to make promise after promise.

So far, the only direction this economy has moved is downward.

Rep. Vos: Wisconsin Business Council is Doyle front group

New Organization’s Absence in Budget Battle Implies only Purpose to Access Campaign Cash

Madison…With Wisconsin unemployment at nearly 9 percent, a new business organization unveiled today is a front group for Governor Jim Doyle’s reelection efforts after he proposed a budget with $3 billion in higher taxes, joint and several liability and new mandates for employers, according to State Rep. Robin Vos (R-Caledonia).

The group, organized by key Doyle insiders, has offered access to Doyle and top Democrats in exchange for corporate contributions to the group.

“The Wisconsin Business Council is obviously a front group for Governor Doyle,” said State Rep. Robin Vos, ranking Assembly Republican on the Joint Finance Committee. “If the business council were a serious organization, it would have organized to fight the budget, not emerge after its passage to spin glad tidings for Doyle as his poll numbers sink to record lows and Wisconsin hemorrhages jobs.”

The Wisconsin Business Council launched today with a handful of members. It has been widely rumored in public affairs circles that organizers of the group are promising access to Doyle and Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker (D-Schofield).

“It’s the Jim Doyle diners club,” said Vos. “For a big corporate contribution, you get a seat on the board and dinner with Doyle. If it’s not pay to play, it sure smells that way.”

The Business Council has been organized by Doyle administration insider Marc Marotta, a partner at Foley & Lardner law firm. Marotta served as Doyle’s Administration Secretary in his first term, and served as the campaign chairman in 2006.

Additionally, Phil Prange, a former fundraiser for Governor Tommy Thompson’s campaign committee, is involved in the organization of the group. Prange has been tied in the press to Marotta and Doyle dating back to 2002.

“During the budget process, I heard from scores of business groups complaining about how bad Governor Doyle’s budget was for business,” Vos said. “The fact that this ‘business group’ registered no opposition to anything in the budget in addition to the fact that it is formed by long-time political operatives who have no interest in the health of the business community indicates to me that this is simply a money laundering, influence peddling operation for Democrats.”

“They were nowhere to be found when it came to joint and several liability, gross receipts taxes, capital gains tax hikes, income tax hikes, and other proposals that would hurt our families who will have fewer jobs,” Vos said.

Contact:
Rep. Robin Vos
(608) 266 9171

H/T: WisPolitics

Bloodhounds

Where is Rusty's Backwater Saloon? I'd like to see this bridge I, as a taxpayer, paid for.

In Plane Sight

Looks like some people in Racine weren't happy with the Democrats' dark-of-night budget dealings. So they decided to tell people about it using airplanes during the Racine parade.



H/T: Racine Post (And from the looks of the comments on the Racine Post, Racine Dems aren't too happy that people are pointing out the truth on what the Dems did to taxpayers.)

Feel like you are getting scammed by Governor Doyle?

The reason you feel that way is because you are getting scammed. I am not exactly sure how Governor Doyle can sleep at night after making statements during the day that he did not raise your taxes. Somehow he manages to sleep.

Rep. Robin Vos has got a great article out today talking about how Governor Doyle plans on lying to you over the next year and a half. Governor Doyle is going to try to convince you that he actually cares about middle class Wisconsinites even as he raises taxes and fees.

Now that the ink is dry on Gov. Jim Doyle’s budget, his political spin machine will be running non-stop from now until the 2010 election to convince us that he has performed a fiscal miracle. You will hear claims that this budget is good for taxpayers; that it’s good for business; or that it’s the best we could expect given the current fiscal situation. The spin machine will spit out any claim necessary to mislead Wisconsinites into thinking that Gov. Doyle deserves to lead this state for another term. But there are vast differences between rhetoric and reality. Doyle’s claims are dishonest at best, deceitful at worst.

In his February budget address, Doyle said families making less than $300,000 won’t see a tax increase. What he should have said was families won’t see an income tax increase, but they will be nickeled and dimed to death by other hidden tax and fee increases.

A new phone tax will increase cell phone and landline bills by 75 cents per month. Auto insurance changes will increase automobile premiums. Massive tax increases on garbage haulers will show up on garbage collection bills. Homeowners will see a property tax increase of at least $319. The list goes on and on. Throughout the 700-page budget, Gov. Doyle quietly skims from taxpayers while he publicly says he is protecting them.

In the same address, when referring to funding increases, the governor got a lot of mileage out of saying that “staying even is the new increase.” That was a very responsible promise given the state was facing a $6.6 billion budget deficit. But it turned out to be a completely false promise. Spending actually goes up by more than 6 percent in this budget.

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