Down With Public Service Unions

I wrote about these leaches a week ago. They're on the WSJ Op-Ed page radar again. And with good reason:

As we can see from the desperate economic and fiscal woes of California, New Jersey, New York and other states with dominant public unions, this has become a major problem for the U.S. economy and small-d democratic governance. It may be the single biggest problem. The agenda for American political reform needs to include the breaking of public unionism's power to capture an ever-larger share of private income.

Eventually these public service unions kill the host. See above-mentioned NY, NJ, & CA.

If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Weekend Happiness

No playoffs this year, but for the first time in a long time, with GM Jack Zduriencik running the show, there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

I don't really care who wins the World Series, but I do like former Mariners Raul Ibañez and Jamie Moyer. So, go Phillies.

If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Tax Day: Throwing A Tea Party (UPDATED)

I'm not sure if the Tax Day Tea Partyists are the "right wing radicals" Homeland Security referred to in its spurious report or not, but either way, I support this movement wholeheartedly.

Click this link for the national picture.

And here's the states in which the writers of this blog take particular interest:

- Washington
City: Kennewick, Richland, Pasco
When: April 15, 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Where: John Dam Plaza - Located between George Washington Way and Jadwin Avenue, north of Knight Street

- New York
City: New York City
When: April 15, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Where: City Hall Park

- Utah
City: Provo
When: April 15, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Where: US Post Office Provo (East Bay), 210 East 900 South CHANGE: Old Utah County Courthouse at the corner of University and Center

- California
City: Simi Valley
When: April 15, 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Where: Reagan Library, 40 Presidential Drive

There isn't a whole lot we can do (until the next election) to let the morons in government know that we will not tolerate increased spending and higher taxes--this is one.

Celebrate a great American tradition and chuck some tea tax in the ocean.

(h/t Wayne B.)

UPDATE 15 April 10:23am MST: Glenn Reynolds wrote a good article in the WSJ about the Tax Day Tea Parties explaining what this phenomenon is all about.

If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Liberal Utopia

Where taxes are high and individual liberties limited, ah, New York, New York.

Gov. Paterson's proposed $121 billion budget hits New Yorkers in their iPods - and nickels-and-dimes them in lots of other places, too.

Trying to close a $15.4 billion budget gap, Paterson called for 88 new fees and a host of other taxes, including an "iPod tax" that taxes the sale of downloaded music and other "digitally delivered entertainment services."

"We're going to have to take some extreme measures," Paterson said Tuesday after unveiling the slash-and-burn budget.

The proposal, which needs legislative approval, did not include broad-based income tax increases, but relied on smaller ones to raise $4.1 billion from cash-strapped New Yorkers.

Movie tickets, taxi rides, soda, beer, wine, cigars and massages would be taxed under Paterson's proposal. It also extends sales taxes to cable and satellite TV services and removes the tax exemption for clothes costing less than $110.

(h/t Matt L.)


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.