Luzerne County Tax Increase

In a move that surprised absolutely nobody, our glorious commissioners have raised property taxes by the maximum allowed by law. This will be the first of many yearly increases.

The lone vote against the increase was by none other than Greggy Skrepenak who also happened to utter the most staggeringly stupid comment of 2008. He actually said "The purpose of the reassessment was not to increase tax revenue". What in the hell was it for? Tax fairness? What a sick joke. Of course the purpose was to increase tax revenue by bringing property values up to date. What did Greg think would happen when properties that haven't been reassessed in over 40 years get brought into line? Tax decreases? In the words of Bugs Bunny, What a maroon!!!

I supported the reassessment and still do. What I want the county to do is to start trimming the fat. I know you want an example or two so here's a couple;
1. Let's get rid of certain park managers that only work 1 day per week for a bit over $40k per year.
2. Let's look at certain departments cough, Recorder of deeds, cough that have 5 managers and one worker. Does it really take that many to manage one person?
3. Examine every department and get rid of all the extra positions, like cough Sam Guesto, cough.

GeorgeW cursesAhmadinejadinUNSpeech

Love him or hate him, this is a great speech!!

$350 Billion of Bailout Money Gone

Nobody knows where it went except maybe the bankers that spent it and they aren't telling. This is exactly what I wrote would happen and why I was and still am against government bailouts. The bankers had the raw balls to say that they aren't doing dollar in/dollar out accounting of the money. Hello, farktards, that is taxpayer money that you are being so cavalier with. I hope that the government has auditors climb so far up those bank's asses that they come out of their noses. Any irregularities or bonuses paid out of the bailout money should result in indictments.

By the way, care to guess where the Big 3 will be spending their money? If you guessed the UAW Pension Fund, you win.

In Honor of Arlen Specter Being Villified for Telling Jokes

People in this country need to lighten up and grow a sense of humor. Did anybody hear Corbett rant and rave about this? I could literally hear him foaming at the mouth through the radio. So, for good old Corbett and everybody else that lacks a sense of humor, these jokes are for you.

Why are there only two pall bearers at an Italian funeral?
There's only two handles on a garbage can.

What do you get when you cross a Puerto Rican and a Polish person?
A graffiti artist that does his work on chain link fences.

Why do Mexicans drive low-riders?
It makes it easier to pick the veggies.


How do we know that Adam was white?
Did you ever try to take a rib from a black man?

What's the hardest part of eating vegetables?
The wheel chair.

What do black folks use for porch monkeys?
Statues of little Italians.

How did the first Italian get to America?
He swam. the rest walked on the dead fish.

Four older Jewish ladies were having lunch at an expensive inn.
The waitress asked them if anything was alright.

What do you get when you cross an Apache and an Irishman?
A drunk that can't hold their liquor.

How does a white person start an ethnic joke?
By looking over their shoulders.

If a redneck couple get divorced, are they still brother and sister?

For the record, between my wife and me, we have Polish, Italian, and Indian covered so spare me the ration of shit some of you may give.

If I have failed to offend everybody, please add your own in the comments.

The Big 3 Respond to the Taxpayers

Application for bailout Money for Vehicle Businesses

Click the image for full size.

Throwing Shoes and Inept Secret Service Agents

Regardless of how you feel about Pres. Bush, this shoe throwing is an insult to our country. Imagine, if you will, that we start hurling rotten tomatoes at every visiting dignitary that we don't like. The world would rightly be outraged. Yet, many in the world are lauding the cornhole that threw his shoes at the President of the United States!!!

I have never made it a secret that I think Obama will be the worst thing to happen to America since the plague but I would write the same thing were it to happen to him when he becomes president.

As for the illustrious agents that were on the protective detail that day, they should be fired for cause and gross dereliction of duty. I cannot fathom how the guy nearly hit the pres. not once but twice before one of them even moved.

Update: It appears the shoe throwing cornhole "fell" down some stairs at the jail and has a broken arm, broken ribs, and numerous cuts and contusions to his face.

The UAW Kills the Auto Industry Bailout

In a totally not surprising move, the union refused to make any concessions thereby killing this ridiculous plan. Perhaps the union needs a history lesson. Take a look right here in NEPA. Techniglass begged the union there for concessions for three years. The union refused and actually asked for more from the company each and every year for those three years. Where is Techniglass now? That's right, the company closed the local plant. I know, no big deal, right? Wrong!! Down the drain went a couple thousand very good jobs from the area.

The funny thing is, they were only asked to match the non-union shops pay scale. How much of a cut were they asked to take from their hourly rate? Nothing. The concessions were to the pension and benefits plan. I hope they are happy as clams when they are unemployed. The other funny thing is, I would bet if the union members were allowed a choice to either keep their jobs by making concessions or lose them by refusing, I would bet a huge sum that they would want to keep their jobs. The union leaders and negotiators did the country a favor and a great disservice to their membership.

I am sicker than Barney Frank at a wienie roast

Sorry for the lack of updates but I am really ill. When I am lucid enough (read when the medication wears off) I'll write. Thanks for your patience.

Gun owners should be afraid of Obama

Please read this article. After you read it, I'll probably see you down at Advanced Arms in Pittston. Tell Chris that Zen sent you!!!



http://www.alternet.org/rights/109841/untold_story_of_election_2008:_the_death_of_the_nra/

Luzerne County Property Tax

In today's Times Leader, our favorite cornhole, I mean commissioner, Greg Skrepenak announced his support for a couple new taxes. He would like the county to introduce a 1% sales tax as well as a 1% income tax. His rationale, to hopefully lower property taxes. I call bullshit. This a blatant attempt to pander to the county's senior citizens as they would not be affected by his new taxes. Greg, do you really think all the older folks are going to forget all of your peccadillos? Think debit cards, no bid contracts for your pals, the 58 million dollar juvie center lease, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc. You may get a few of them to support you because they think their tax bill may go down. The problem there Greggy, is that when they find out that there will in fact be a 10% tax increase for fiscal year 2009 and after that the sky is the limit on increases, I think they'll be forming a lynch mob.

If you don't know what I mean by the aforementioned property tax increases, you haven't been paying attention. That is how it works. The first year they are limited to a 10% increase only. After that, they have no such restriction on increases. This is why the County needs to cut deeply into the budget fat. Will they? Probably not. Will they make the token cuts they are proposing permanent? Even less likely.

The real problem with Scrap's proposed new taxes is who those taxes will hit the hardest. The new sales tax will far and away hit the poor the hardest. The income tax coupled with the sales tax will be a heavy burden on the middle class.

Granted, I never played football without a helmet on like Greg but wouldn't it be better for the county to get rid of all the fat before laying siege to the poor and middle class? It is a fact that there are departments at the court house that have 5 managers and one worker bee. Why not start there?

Everything you ever wanted to know about the mortgage meltdown

All the liberals, progressives, and Democrats can try to blame the current economic crisis on Bush all they want. The facts paint a much different picture of who is responsible.

Start at the bottom.

IBD takes a look at the root causes of the subprime mortgage meltdown and the related financial crisis.
Part Five
Saddest Thing About This Mess: Congress Had Chance To Stop It
Could the crisis at Fannie Mae-Freddie Mac and the subprime meltdown have been avoided? The answer is yes.
Part Four
Congress Pushed Fannie, Freddie In Wrong Direction During 1990s
It was October 1992, nearly 15 years before the housing meltdown and subprime crisis. Republican Rep. Jim Leach of Iowa was on the floor of the House, talking about something that no one at the time seemed to care about: the potential danger that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac posed to the economy.
Part Three
How A Clinton-Era Rule Rewrite Made Subprime Crisis Inevitable
One of the most frequently asked questions about the subprime market meltdown and housing crisis is: How did the government get so deeply involved in the housing market?
Part Two
Good Intentions Paved The Road To Subprime-Stoked Meltdown
For those looking for a real start to today's financial meltdown and government rescue, you need to go back — way back — to 1977, and the Jimmy Carter presidency.
Part One
'Crony' Capitalism Is Root Cause Of Fannie And Freddie Troubles
In the past couple of weeks, as the financial crisis has intensified, a new talking point has emerged from the Democrats in Congress: This is all a "crisis of capitalism," in socialist financier George Soros' phrase, and a failure to regulate our markets sufficiently.

Special thanks to D.M. for a great find!!

I Heard You Paint Houses

I picked this book up over the weekend. It is basically the story of Russell Buffalino, Jimmy Hoffa, and Frank Sheeran. If you haven't read it yet, I recommend you pick up a copy. There are many local references and it really delves into the mindest and and actions of organized crime. It also sheds a rather unpleasant light on unions and just how incomparably corrupt they were and still are. Perhaps those in power that are going to bail out the UAW should read this book before doing so.

Update: Guess who got elected to his first term as a Senator thanks to the teamsters union pulling some outrageously bad tricks? I'll give you two hints. His name rhymes with slidin' and his new title rhymes with twice resident!!!