Should Sara Palin be held accountable?

[MooseMom]

I'd like to say a word about taxes.  I live in Illinois, so this big tax increase will affect me.  This state ranks dead last for just about everything...services for veterans, funds for special education...it's awful.  My favorite local charity is the Association for Individual Development...it supports adults with disabilities, providing them with education, employment opportunities and even housing when able.  The Association lost $1,000,000 in funding last year, the result being that 450 of their clients now don't have access to those kinds of services.

Last year our town didn't have enough money to pay for sufficient road salt.  I live at the end of a wooded cul-de-sac-, and my damn road never got salted, and all winter just getting to the store was a wilderness adventure.  Thank God I didn't have to drive to dialysis.  If I have to pay more in tax to retain basic services, I'll do it.

When the governor was reelected, we knew that tax increases were on the way because we knew that the state had no money.  There have been drastic cuts in spending that no one liked, and now there's tax increases we are not thrilled about, but we happen to believe that we need enough money to function and to look after people who can't always look after themselves.  We believe in social responsibility, and sometimes you have to pay for that.

No one's moving from Chicago to (urp) Indiana.  Have you been to Indiana?  (Don't mean to insult those in Indiana... )

Oh, much of downstate is farms.  Why don't they cut farming subsidies BIGTIME?

[KarenInWA]

We here in WA had a Tea Party candidate who wante to run for Senator.  His name was Clint Didier.  His mantra was we should NOT support the weak, because that will bring down the strong.  I took that personally, since at this time, I do not know what my eventual kidney failure will do to me, so does that mean people like me should be left out to shrivel up and die?  Meanwhile, he was lambasted for receiving years worth of farming subsidies.  Needless to say, he didn't make it past the primary.

KarenInWA

[Hemodoc]

I'd like to say a word about taxes.  I live in Illinois, so this big tax increase will affect me.  This state ranks dead last for just about everything...services for veterans, funds for special education...it's awful.  My favorite local charity is the Association for Individual Development...it supports adults with disabilities, providing them with education, employment opportunities and even housing when able.  The Association lost $1,000,000 in funding last year, the result being that 450 of their clients now don't have access to those kinds of services.

Last year our town didn't have enough money to pay for sufficient road salt.  I live at the end of a wooded cul-de-sac-, and my damn road never got salted, and all winter just getting to the store was a wilderness adventure.  Thank God I didn't have to drive to dialysis.  If I have to pay more in tax to retain basic services, I'll do it.

When the governor was reelected, we knew that tax increases were on the way because we knew that the state had no money.  There have been drastic cuts in spending that no one liked, and now there's tax increases we are not thrilled about, but we happen to believe that we need enough money to function and to look after people who can't always look after themselves.  We believe in social responsibility, and sometimes you have to pay for that.

No one's moving from Chicago to (urp) Indiana.  Have you been to Indiana?  (Don't mean to insult those in Indiana... )

Oh, much of downstate is farms.  Why don't they cut farming subsidies BIGTIME?

Dear MooseMom,

Here in CA we have had a steady exodus for the last two years of major businesses because of our tax structure and a fact that Illinois has not caught on to, many states are competing for this exodus with tax breaks to the companies.  Davita for instance left CA and went to CO due to tax considerations.  As I read in an article today, the surrounding states to Illinois are gleefully applauding the Illinois tax hike.

Sadly, the tax cut will ultimately lower revenue to the state, not increase it over time due to an exodus.  I think you are underestimating the negative effect of adverse taxes.

[MooseMom]

Sadly, companies don't want to do business in a state that has crap schools, crap roads, crap city services and a crap infrastructure.

Here's a bit more information on the situation in Illinois.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0112/Illinois-tax-increase-why-lawmakers-passed-66-percent-income-tax-hike

[Hemodoc]

Sadly, companies don't want to do business in a state that has crap schools, crap roads, crap city services and a crap infrastructure.

Here's a bit more information on the situation in Illinois.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0112/Illinois-tax-increase-why-lawmakers-passed-66-percent-income-tax-hike

I think it has more to do with their bottom line and how the tax liability affects that.

In any case, I hope all works well for Illinois, our middle boy lives there as well.

[Bill Peckham]

I'd like to say a word about taxes.  I live in Illinois, so this big tax increase will affect me.  This state ranks dead last for just about everything...services for veterans, funds for special education...it's awful.  My favorite local charity is the Association for Individual Development...it supports adults with disabilities, providing them with education, employment opportunities and even housing when able.  The Association lost $1,000,000 in funding last year, the result being that 450 of their clients now don't have access to those kinds of services.

Last year our town didn't have enough money to pay for sufficient road salt.  I live at the end of a wooded cul-de-sac-, and my damn road never got salted, and all winter just getting to the store was a wilderness adventure.  Thank God I didn't have to drive to dialysis.  If I have to pay more in tax to retain basic services, I'll do it.

When the governor was reelected, we knew that tax increases were on the way because we knew that the state had no money.  There have been drastic cuts in spending that no one liked, and now there's tax increases we are not thrilled about, but we happen to believe that we need enough money to function and to look after people who can't always look after themselves.  We believe in social responsibility, and sometimes you have to pay for that.

No one's moving from Chicago to (urp) Indiana.  Have you been to Indiana?  (Don't mean to insult those in Indiana... )

Oh, much of downstate is farms.  Why don't they cut farming subsidies BIGTIME?

Dear MooseMom,

Here in CA we have had a steady exodus for the last two years of major businesses because of our tax structure and a fact that Illinois has not caught on to, many states are competing for this exodus with tax breaks to the companies.  Davita for instance left CA and went to CO due to tax considerations.  As I read in an article today, the surrounding states to Illinois are gleefully applauding the Illinois tax hike.

Sadly, the tax cut will ultimately lower revenue to the state, not increase it over time due to an exodus.  I think you are underestimating the negative effect of adverse taxes.

I think the appeal of CO v CA may be that it is a lot cheaper to run for Senate in CO - ever notice a certain CEO has "political" hair?

[YLGuy]

Hemodoc you letting us know that when you were younger you were a Dem and know that you are a doctor you are a Rep is not a surprise what so ever.  It didn't need to be said.  Please do not lead us to believe you changed for any other reason except your tax bracket. 

The House is about to embark on a waste of time and energy.  Trying to repeal the health care is stupid.  It won't make it through Congress so why waste the time?

[Hemodoc]

Hemodoc you letting us know that when you were younger you were a Dem and know that you are a doctor you are a Rep is not a surprise what so ever.  It didn't need to be said.  Please do not lead us to believe you changed for any other reason except your tax bracket. 

The House is about to embark on a waste of time and energy.  Trying to repeal the health care is stupid.  It won't make it through Congress so why waste the time?

Actually my friend I live quite modestly.  My politics changed when I became a born again Christian.  I was still a democrat even after becoming a doctor.  I would point out that there are many, many liberal democratic physicians in this country so please don't make assumptions about mine or other people motives, as in most cases, you will simply be in error.

I would hope people would not make assumptions about people without knowing the individual and what motivates him or her.

By the way, I am not happy with most Republicans either.

As far as Health Care Repeal, Obama and his cohorts didn't make the health system here better, what a wasted opportunity really.  As I have stated many times in conversations with Bill, I am not adverse to true health care reform but is that what we got?  Sorry, I believe that they really botched the whole thing.  That is the view of the majority of people in the US today and that is one of the single most important issues of the last election in 2010 and why you no longer have a super majority in both houses of congress.

Yes, Obama will not sign it, nor will the Senate ratify it at a veto proof margin, but does it now my friend open up the debate to hear the other side of this whole debate that the Democrats shut out of any debate the last time around?  It is more than symbolic my friend and congress does have the power to defund what ever was already passed.  So perhaps some real debate can happen around these issues instead of just pushing something through because of the super majority the Democrats did enjoy, but no longer do.

[YLGuy]