Can we say 'We told you so'
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Regular contributor to the RoundUp Charles O'Dell had this comment:
Pct. 2 Commish Jeff Barton
up for 2008-2009 Oopsies Award of the Year
up for 2008-2009 Oopsies Award of the Year
Bet there are a lot of folks who moved to Hays County and then voted last year to spend nearly $100 million expanding FM 1626 as a commuter route to Austin via SH45 (that is now off the table for at least a decade) would vote differently today. TxDOT has wasted too much of the taxpayers' dollars. We tried to tell them the $207 million road bond that commissioners Jeff Barton and Will Conley were pushing was going to raise property taxes, increase traffic fatalities, converge into two-lane Brodie, and only help developers. Now some of them don’t have jobs, their homes are being foreclosed, their property taxes are increasing and Barton will be running for County Judge. And we thought Commissioner Barton was already at his highest level of incompetency.
From the Statesman:
"Austin job-loss rate deepens in August"
By American-Statesman staff | Friday, September 18, 2009, 09:37 AM
The Austin area lost jobs for the third month in a row in August, and at the steepest rate so far in the recession.
The area lost 7,200 jobs between August 2008 and last month, a 0.9 percent drop. The decline was 0.2 percent in June and July, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.
The losses were concentrated in the manufacturing sector, where the annual loss rate was 11.5 percent. That reflects continuing job cuts by high-tech companies including Samsung Austin Semiconductor and Applied Materials Inc. and their suppliers.
The unemployment rate in the Austin-Round Rock area last month was 7.2 percent, down from 7.3 percent in July but up from 4.7 percent in August 2008.
Statewide, the unemployment rate was 8 percent in August, up from 7.9 percent in July but up from 5 percent in August 2008.
The state lost 62,200 jobs last month."
20 comments:
Whose fault is the higher unemployment rate? The President's obviously since he wants to take credit for everything else. Maybe we can get some of the stimulus money to pay for the road improvements, and then Uncle Barak can forgive our tax debts like he has forgiven the home loans of those who couldn't afford them to start with thanks to the Democrats' plan to require "fair lending" to those vagrants who couldn't afford a job without government intervention.
Forget it, Charles and Bob.
Obviously too many people here wouldn't know the Truth if they tripped over it.
You've got to be kidding, right? You are blaming job loss on Barton now? What sort of sick fetish do you have with this man?
I believe the point of Mr. O'Dell's comment relates to Barton's role in getting the road bond passed, including the over-the-top 1626 reconstruction project, which apparently is no longer necessary as planned. The spiking unemployment is a bad coincidence. Our spiking county taxes are not. The questions are, will Barton scale back the project and save the taxpayers some money? Or will he plunge forward to satisfy the road builders and developers? Remember this extravagant road project is in his precinct, with lots of money in it that he can spread around.
Also including the recent pay hikes of 15% for commissioners and raises for all county employees during this difficult economic period.
Bad timing.
The high unemployment is caused and worsened by Government spending and the threat of more Socialism in the Federal Government. Businesses are frightened by the costly Obamacare and Cap ‘n’ Trade legislation. It seems that Obama never saw a “for profit” business he liked; he preferred something like those ballot box stuffers at Acorn. Now he is denying he had anything to do with Acorn, he was their lawyer for Pete’s sake. What we need is a tax break and for Obama to stay off of TV.
Trying to put this on Barton is the weakest thing Mr. Odell has come up with, to date. Our County is full of a bunch of money wasters and blow-hards but pale in comparison to the big spenders in Washington. Bush and Clinton were big spenders as well, but they believed in our Republic. I hope we can last for another 3 years, it doesn’t good.
Hays County residents are very much effected in the Austin unemployment and pay freezes, yet the Commissioners and Hays Appraisal Distict have continue to treat us as surfs.
Homes have gone down in value- bigtime- mine did, yet the A. District used false numbers to actually say our home increased in value- due to a "view tax". A view of my neighbor's boat, travel trailer, and 2nd story.
All the commissioners and judge lobbied and bullied us through a 2nd road bond after the 1st bond was defeated, and our county taxes are up again, and will be again.
I won't be fooled again. No more Sumter, Ford, and Barton next year; never anymore school bonds for WISD, and I'll hire a an appraisal specialist attourney next year.
Is there anyone on this blog that cares about future generations? The 1626 expansion will really help the safety of the children who's schools are located on that road. Not giving any more money to ISDs? Come one people and stop being so greedy.
Anon # 2 -
See the condescending attitude? Everyone else is ignorant, and only Dear Leaders Charles and Bob have a cornered market on the truth. What would be refreshing is that Charles (of John Gorman fame for failing to disclose his failure to let the public know of this man's water wasting ways) would admit his failures and when he is wrong, and Bob would do well to cover the news even-handedly by reporting that there was a HUGE march on Washington, like he reported the paltry turn-out of the people supporting Obama's health care plan. No mention of those who oppose it having their rally days afterwards at the same location, or the massive rally and march on the capitol in Washington. (Guess your news like Pravda is only news if the Big Boss says it's news, otherwise, it is only propaganda, unworthy of reporting because it might confuse the mindless masses who might think that there are two points of views to be discussed openly and fairly, without the news media having a predetermined answer or supported stance thus dooming the other to the lack of positive reporting, and massive amounts of negative reporting - ala, slanted reporting like Charles'.)
It would appear from this one particular instance that Dear Charles and Bob are outgunned and outmanned, but kudos to Bob (if he is the one allowing posts to go up even if he disagrees with them.)
See us conservatives are even handed with compliments when deserved, now, go and do likewise.
Go ahead an give Barton one of the Oopsies awards now. There's no way he can be topped for bafoonery (if that really is a word).
Barton takes himself far too seriously, particularly given what he has to work with, if you get my drift. And the fact that folks are getting a good laugh out of his "I am a serious student of urban dynamics" stance reminds me of the heart of the issue in the Emperor Has No Clothes tale.
Give it a rest, Barton. Just accept your award and try to be gracious about it.
Quote: "Is there anyone on this blog that cares about future generations? The 1626 expansion will really help the safety of the children who's schools are located on that road. Not giving any more money to ISDs? Come one people and stop being so greedy."
Lady, You are victim of the "Save the Children" politics that got the road bonds passed in the first place. The savvy Politicians and School Boards have discovered that it is easy to scare the Mommies since they will kill to protect their little ones. This is the reason the Wimberley School Bonds passed and gave us the wasteful Jacob’s Well Elementary. Wake-up Mommies nobody wants to hurt your little darlings. We are not greedy, just getting tired of paying for this waste.
Barton sees that $100 million pile of cash in front of his eyes and he starts to froth at the mouth.
'Let's see, how many contractors and developers can I help enrich who will return some of the taxpayers' money in the form of contributions back into my campaign coffer'?
My children, and everybody else's, will be old and retired before we pay off Barton's $100 million-dollar FM 1626 road project. I've never heard of such a quantity of money being entrusted to one individual elected official in a small county like ours!
Basta!
We could sure use some of that money for FM 3237/150. We haven't seen a dime's worth of improvements in years, got as much traffic and is more dangerous than 1620. Plenty of school drops are made on 3237 too. We residents along 3237/150 got the shaft from Conley, Barton and Ford.
No, braindeads,rising unemployment is caused by businesses laying people off or moving their jobs overseas for cheaper labor, lower overhead, and higher stock prices. The right wingnuts can't blame this one on the Soul Prez. Everytime we end a Republican presidency, we have rising unemployment and at least a mini-recession. Look it up, if you wingnuts can handle the truth for once.
Recession???
All you folks don't know what you're talking about.
Gov. Rick Perry says "What recession?"
He has not seen one.
BTW, does Perry pay for anything???
Taxpayers foot the tab for everything Perry has to pay, e.g., that ridiculous $9,000 per month Lake Travis rental for him to stay in.
How could he possibly "feel" the recession???
Let him move into a doublewide!!! Perhaps he'll feel it then.
Left the Right Behind:
What was that thing that happened in the 1970's during the Carter era? 18% loan rates, 12-20% unemployment, stagflation, etc. Who fixed that one? Reagan - ala, Republican President. Dimwit.
As for jobs being shipped overseas - who was president when the NAFTA was passed? Hmmm....maybe Bill Clinton, the original Soul Prez (what a stupid term - only a leftie loonie could come up with that), guess what happened after that happened? Jobs began being shipped overseas, just like Perot said that they would.
And for reality, check the tax rates for corporate America, if the jobs are easier to send overseas so that YOU can buy CHEAPER goods and services, guess where the jobs will end up? Overseas. Are you willing to pay the prices for the goods and services YOU enjoy if all of these jobs are kept in America? No, I am sure you aren't. Wonder why jobs are leaving the Rust Belt (Michigan and Ohio) for the Sun Belt? Unions. Yep, your commie buddies are working overtime to keep jobs that they helped to destroy with their greed for more and more and more; all the while they (the union bosses collect more and more from the guys on the line, who don't realize that the union bosses all the while are screwing them behind the backs - there's a metaphor that will get ya to thinking.)
Dems and lefties of all stripes need to realize that it isn't just the Right and Repubs that are to blame, greed comes in all stripes and it comes with the power grab that Dems are always on.
Mr. O'Dell - Do you know what the jobless rate in Hays county is? Just curious how we compare.
After further research, I see I made a partial error when I blamed Nixon-Ford for the US inflation/interest rate spikes referred to by Anonymous numbnut.
Actually, the first interest rate spike (12%) occurred in 1975 under Nixon/Ford and the second BIG interest spike (18%) happened in late 1981 under Reagan, almost two years after he came to power. But who are Bushclone and I kidding? Interest rates are controlled by the FOMC, not the US President. The US president only has the power to create inflation and recessions, like Bush 2 did just recently. Unfortunately the Soul Prez (only souless people find that term stupid) is potentially creating major inflation by bailing out the banks & autos and compromising to the tea party hate xenophobes. Wait and see what your health insurance premiums will be in five to ten years. Now that will be inflation.
Left Behind:
Check your wacked out calendar - Pres. Carter was president until Jan 20, 1981 (duh). President Reagan inherited the mess from Carter the same as everyone is saying that Obama has inherited Bush's mess. You can't have it both ways goofball.
(Typical liberal math, no wonder the kids coming out of the public school system can't add two-and-two.)
Wait until there is no competition for health care and find out that no competition means quality and cost goes through the roof. Competition is what drives quality and cost control, not the government. The government monopoly results in inefficiencies of service and goods, and drives costs through the roof and kills innovation. (When was the last time the post office has had anything unique that made people just want to go to the post office to mail anything? Self-adhesive stamps?)
The CBO is backing up what Humana said today about that the cuts proposed to medicaid will end up reducing or eliminating the health care that the senior citizens enjoy now. Now that's change that only liberals can believe in.
Yup, Jimmy Carter is the President that the Democrats wish we all would forget about. I remember 21% interest rates, giving the Panama Canal to Government of Panama, Stagflation, 53 Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days, fuel shortages and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Reagan was sworn in and Iran immediately released the hostages, taxes reduced, interest rates sunk among other things that were good. Carter was easily the worst President of the 20th Century, Johnson was a close second. Carter’s title is in jeopardy they way “da O” is going. Now, there is some history your kids will not be taught in the Government School System.
My wife and I are covered by a $400/mo. Medicare Advantage plan with Humana and it is a good as anything around since the Government part is taken over by Humana. If the present administration has it’s way we will loose the Humana part and be stuck with the Government part along with about 12 millions other seniors. I promise it won’t be near as good. Yes, they plan to force Government Healthcare on all of us, if you can’t see that then God help you. That’s the story of Obamacare!
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