Sunday, July 31, 2011

On Kathryn Jean Lopez, NRO - The Corner:
"What John Boehner Said to His Caucus Tonight"

What John Boehner Said to His Caucus Tonight - By Kathryn Jean Lopez - The Corner - National Review Online


We need a bill ordering the POTUS in the event of no rise in the Debt Limit to follow a list of priorities.
1. Debt interest
2. Military pay
3. Contracted military operating expenses
4. Social Security
5. Military pensions
6. Civilian pay from DOD DOS Treas DHS & Justice
7. Military procurement contracts
8. All other Fed civilian pay
9. Medicaid reimbursement
10. Federal civilian pensions
11. Medicare reimbursement
12. Other domestic contracted expenditures
13. Other overseas contracted expenditures
14. Foreign Aid.

Failure to adhere to this schedule would be grounds for Impeachment and/or the prosecution of any officer found in violation.

Comment on "The Deal Framework"
By Kathryn Jean Lopez, NRO - The Corner

The Deal Framework - By Kathryn Jean Lopez - The Corner - National Review Online

A bad deal is a bad deal. A promised future vote means no BBA. If there is no BBA and no voted cuts then there will be a possible cosmetic cut to Medicare, not Medicaid though, and massive defense cut. Most Dems would vote for that today, knowing that the Medicare pork will get loaded back in anyway.

We need to double Defense spending over the next 4 years. We also need to cut Medicare and SSA by 5%/yr for 10 years, for all persons currently under 45 years old, followed by elimination of the programs at the end of 25 years for all persons not currently over 55.

We need it in the Constitution a 4% Rule.
1. Peacetime maintenance of the Armed Forces should not exceed 4% of GDP.
2. Debt Service should not exceed 4% of GDP.
3. Domestic spending, that is all expenditure other than National Defense and Debt Service should not exceed 4% of GDP.
4. No State should be allowed to disburse from the public treasury during peacetime more than 4% of that State's share of the GDP.
Combat expenditures above the 4% limit should need a 60% super majority, or a writ from the SCOTUS or other designated body in a Continuity of Operations chain if due to extraordinary circumstances Congress is unable to act.

We also need the following.
No person, except enlisted members of the Armed Forces and officers called to extended active duty in times of conflict, who derives over 50% of their income from funds disbursed from the Federal Treasury shall vote in any Federal election, that is for Congress. No person who derives over 50% of their income from any State or Local treasury shall vote in any election at the State or Local level in that jurisdiction. No person may contribute money to any campaign in an election for which they are not eligible to vote. No person however under this article shall be barred from voting or participating in any local board or body that does not have taxing or final contract approval power.

Note, due to the Electoral College no one would be prevented from voting for POTUS, since the Presidential Election is really just an opinion poll. This would however mean that school teachers would lose the right to vote in state and local races or to buy local politicians.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Comment on Mark Steyn,
The Corner, National Review Online:
"Tahrir Square Comes to Fleet Street"

Tahrir Square Comes to Fleet Street - By Mark Steyn - The Corner - National Review Online

Pinch Sulzberger of the NY Times has good reason to fear and hate Murdoch. By closing the News of the World Murdoch proved that every prejudicial fantasy that the Left harbors about him is not just untrue but a projection of how the Left behaves when given the chance. Newscorp just shut down a successful business with a circulation the NY Times can only dream of, and did so over an ethical issue. They acted decisively, no split the difference theatrics or subterfuge. Given that the NYT is bleeding money while losing readers and lacks the credibility of the Murdoch tabloids, imagine what a real Publisher and Executive like Murdoch would do if had control over the Times? Perhaps he would send Donald Trump or Conrad Black over to say "You're fired."