Vote NO
We urge a NO vote in July 2012 on funding the $6.14 billion Atlanta Regional Transportation Plan. The funding for this plan is a 1 cent increase in our county sales tax for 10 years.
Transportation Investment Act of 2010
The Transportation Investment Act of 2010 actually took the future Georgia's transportation out of voters’ hands and turned it into a political football controlled by an unelected commission. Prior to this new law, the Metro Planning Commission only screwed up the roads in DeKalb and Fulton counties and the City of Atlanta. Now it will screw up the surrounding counties.
What Prompted the Change
Public transit, the MARTA train and bus system, is technically bankrupt and requires tax subsidies of 83% to fund its $750 million a year budget. For decades, the federal government has been MARTA’s sugar daddy. Now the federal government has run out of other people’s money and MARTA either has to close, shrink or find another source of revenue. It wants the surrounding counties to fill the void, expecting that federal funding will actually stop in July 2012 when we hit the Debt Wall,
Meanwhile, Obama, in his rush to implement UN Agenda 21, pushed light rail along with his other unsustainable “green” scams and tied all federal funding to light rail and public transit spending. Having been trained to chase after federal dollars, our politicians rushed to get the last federal giveaway, so in a really bad move, the Georgia Legislature and Governor pushed the law through. We are just now learning what a boondoggle this is.
Transit Heavy
The current $7.22 billion plan includes $6.14 billion for “regional improvements” and $1.1 billion for “local improvements”. The transit projects in the current plan will cost $3,323,392,377. Transit is over 50% of the cost of the plan, yet citizens view transit as unnecessary, low use and too expensive. Citizens in each county also resent the fact that they could reject the plan as a county, but if a majority of the 10 county regional voters vote yes, this tax and spending plan will become law.
We believe all Transit should be private and self supporting. MARTA should not be allowed to expand its footprint, because it requires $630 million in subsidies to meet its $750 million budget. If this Plan is approved by the voters, subsidies will double. MARTA needs to increase its prices to $6.50 per ride to break even.
The assertion by proponents that we need public transit, MARTA trains and buses and light rail in Atlanta because it brings "development" to the region is not true. They bought that lie in Spain and now it's bankrupt because it blew all of its money on this scam.
Violates County Sovereignty
I don’t remember voting to establish the Georgia Regional Commissions in last election. It is another layer of government and voters should be allowed to vote for its creation. We are not allowed to elect members of these commissions; they are appointed by the Governor.
Before this law was passed, cities and counties were responsible for their roads. The Georgia House and Senate and Governor passed the law establishing the Regional Commissions with no voter input. This law usurps city and county sovereignty and removes voters from the process. Counties cannot opt out.
If we vote NO, we could reject the plan and the structure. It is the only way to put this unaccountable beast back in its box. If the 1 cent sales tax is passed by a majority of voters in the 10 county region, whatever the Commission decides as a final plan will be imposed. It will make that decision after the Plan passes.
If it does not pass, they may still have the authority to control transportation and they will do nothing. Worse, they may not allow cities and counties to fix their roads themselves, now that it is legally our of their hands. At that point we would need to petition the Legislature to repeal the establishment of the Commissions. The argument that the commissions are needed just isn’t true.
GDOT Incompetence - HOT Lanes
Somehow, our useless HOV Lanes are being turned into Toll lanes without a vote. A private company will “partner” with the government, if the government promises by contract to allow all alternate routes to deteriorate, to “encourage” everyone to use the Toll Lanes. This should not stand. The HOV Lanes should have been dismantled and the lanes returned to general use. It's time to dissolve the non-elected "planning commissions" and return accountability to our local and state elected officials.
Voters Not Convinced
Don't believe the well orchestrated spin by the Atlanta Journal or your elected officials. This violation of sovereignty has made voters suspicious. Like the federal stimulus bill, the ARC project list is a Liberal wish list, packed with transit cost. Seeing our city council reps and county commissioners appointed to the commission and volunteering to be cheerleaders for the plan is convincing us to replace them along with those in the Georgia House and Senate who voted to establish this ARC in 2010.
The speed with which this plan is moving combined with its complexity makes “railroading” an appropriate metaphor for this disaster.. To add to this credibility gap, the long maligned Georgia DOT was enlisted to design this plan, guaranteeing that a bad plan will be implemented badly. The Georgia DOT is not highly regarded by the voters. We’ve seen their “innovative” HOV lanes, stop lights at entrance ramps, refusal to widen roads, the new Toll lanes, the proposed left-lane highway ramps and roundabouts. The Georgia Legislature has squandered all of its revenue on Education and Medicaid. Meanwhile, we are told the $7 billion Toll Lanes are being built, without being voted on. Toll charges are rumored to reach $7. When the confusing signs are all installed, it will be impossible to drive around Atlanta because of the 10 fold increase in accidents.
ARC Desperation
Neglect of Atlanta Metro roads and highways for the past 30 years has driven drivers to desperation. The ARC proponents are counting on our desperation to result in a yes vote from the 10 county region. With 5% using trains and buses to commute and 95% using cars, it’s difficult to understand why half of the $6.14 billion in this 1 cent sales tax hike goes to public transit. The ARC proponents are desperate to avoid answering that question.
They are having meetings to promote the plan. They are using the Delphi Technique to get the answers they want. One question asks: Would you rather walk or ride a bike ?
When I asked if they considered extending US-29 to I-75 and I-85 south of Atlanta to give interstate traffic an alternate route around Atlanta, the DOT guy said the problem was that there is a railroad track it would have to cross. God help us !
The creation of Regional Commissions appears to be a desperate attempt to bail out a bankrupt MARTA, install more low use, public transit and give Obama some light rail monuments to his stupidity. And this was brought to you by our Republican State government. God help us !
It’s clear, government can no longer be trusted to maintain our roads. I can buy a nice used road grader for about $38,500 and I may have to do that. The problem is that our tolls, gas taxes and car license tag fees go to the government and maybe that needs to change. Those taxes aren’t all spent on road maintenance.
I get the feeling that government doesn’t want us to drive cars. I know they don’t want us to fly in airplanes. I think they want us to live in transit villages and grow our own food without violating the EPA dust ban. It would be like living in the 20th century in the USSR and then going broke.
What Would Work
We need to repeal the Transportation Investment Act of 2010 and dismantle the Toll lanes. MARTA will need to raise rates to $5 a ride and tighten its belt, or get DeKalb, Fulton and Atlanta to vote to increase the sales tax subsidy to 2 cents, or a combination of cuts and tax increases, or sell its assets to a private transit company. We prefer private transit. If the tax increase fails to pass, the 8 surrounding counties are off the hook.
We believe expanding US 29 to intersect with I-85 and I-75 south of Atlanta would provide an alternate interstate by-pass route that would remove traffic from I-285.
We believe our cities are responsible for our roads and will vote to improve them on a city by city, road by road basis. Voters in unincorporated county areas look to the county to fix their roads. We want our tax dollars to go to fixing our own roads.
We don’t want to expand a failed public transit system to soak up tax dollars. Town Hall meetings so far, have confirmed this. When citizens reviewed the projects and costs, they wanted to eliminate the public transit projects.
With no federal funding for transportation, the State of Georgia will need to reduce it’s “investment” in public education and Medicaid (sand holes) and fund state roads and interstate highways maintenance if necessary. This U.S. government bankruptcy has consequences.
Things to Consider
A yes vote on this tax will mean that we accept this new layer of government, run by a board and director we didn't elect, with authority that will make it impossible for us to determine our own transportation infrastructure.
Voters should realize that this additional 1 cent increase in sales tax will cost us $6 billion over the next 10 years and may be extended beyond that, just like the GA-400 toll. We would be better off spending the entire $6 billion on roads and nothing on transit and doing it on a county by county basis by accountable, elected officials.
Each voter should base their vote on whether or not they will ever use trains or buses. They only go where they go and so far, that hasn’t been where we needed to go. We mostly use cars and public transit utilization has always been low in the Atlanta Metro area. Even with federal bribes, we cannot imagine the plan would pass in its current form. If transit subsidies could be removed and federal funding could be preserved and counties were allowed to remain sovereign, we think a roads-only plan would pass.
DeKalb and Fulton counties should fund their own public transit or make it self-supporting. All other surrounding counties should not be burdened by Atlanta transit costs. Cities and counties in the Metro area need to divert funds from non-core expenses to roads, bridges, sewers and water and become self-sufficient.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Park Bonds I
Go to the City of Dunwoody website and look at the 2012 Budget Plan 9-13-11 pdf and scroll down to the line item budget. Then consider the pending Park Bonds. If the annual interest rate on a total of $66M in Bonds is 5% and payable in 30 years, the Park Bonds would create a $128 million debt. About half of this debt cost is interest.
If the Park Bond Issues pass, the $4.3 million a year debt service for the next 30 years should be viewed as Parks expense. This makes Parks the largest budget item at $6.5 million a year. Police comes in 2nd at $6.2 million a year. More parks require more police. Parks and Police could consume future budgets to the detriment of road and sewer maintenance. Public works comes in 3rd at $4.6 million.
Given our poor economy, it is prudent to assume that Dunwoody city annual revenue could hover around $20 million for several more years. If you add $6.5M, $6.2M and $4.3M you get $17 million. That is just $3 million less than the current city budget. We might get $7 million from DeKalb (see blood and turnip), but that’s a one-time payment, if and when we ever get it.
I don’t expect a retail surge any time soon, so the revenue we get from PCID might stay the same if we’re lucky. I do not expect a surge in apartment demand, I do expect government job hiring freezes, budget cuts and layoffs after 2012. I expect more private sector layoffs, lower home values and inflation as well. I wouldn’t even consider voting for the City of Dunwoody to take on any debt for a decade. I certainly plan to vote NO on both Park Bonds to avoid taking on a $128 million, 30 year debt.
Many economists predict a second recession. The Eurozone is falling apart and could put the entire world economy in depression.. Any number of bad things could be in our future. Tax revenues could drop with housing and retail remaining in the doldrums or worse.
There is economic danger on the horizon. This is not the time for Dunwoody to go into debt. We are a young city still trying to get on our feet. We haven't even had time to build an emergency fund. We have proven that we can run the city’s basic services with current income. Let's continue to prove we can survive a recession before we stick our necks out and go into debt.
It’s time for the City Council to determine priorities based on utilization. I think we all use roads, bridges, sewers and water from DeKalb. I think everything else is low use and shouldn’t be the top two expense items. I think the City squandered its revenue on low value activities and unsustainable, UN Agenda 21 compliant Master Plans that certainly don’t advance our freedom or protect private property rights.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
If the Park Bond Issues pass, the $4.3 million a year debt service for the next 30 years should be viewed as Parks expense. This makes Parks the largest budget item at $6.5 million a year. Police comes in 2nd at $6.2 million a year. More parks require more police. Parks and Police could consume future budgets to the detriment of road and sewer maintenance. Public works comes in 3rd at $4.6 million.
Given our poor economy, it is prudent to assume that Dunwoody city annual revenue could hover around $20 million for several more years. If you add $6.5M, $6.2M and $4.3M you get $17 million. That is just $3 million less than the current city budget. We might get $7 million from DeKalb (see blood and turnip), but that’s a one-time payment, if and when we ever get it.
I don’t expect a retail surge any time soon, so the revenue we get from PCID might stay the same if we’re lucky. I do not expect a surge in apartment demand, I do expect government job hiring freezes, budget cuts and layoffs after 2012. I expect more private sector layoffs, lower home values and inflation as well. I wouldn’t even consider voting for the City of Dunwoody to take on any debt for a decade. I certainly plan to vote NO on both Park Bonds to avoid taking on a $128 million, 30 year debt.
Many economists predict a second recession. The Eurozone is falling apart and could put the entire world economy in depression.. Any number of bad things could be in our future. Tax revenues could drop with housing and retail remaining in the doldrums or worse.
There is economic danger on the horizon. This is not the time for Dunwoody to go into debt. We are a young city still trying to get on our feet. We haven't even had time to build an emergency fund. We have proven that we can run the city’s basic services with current income. Let's continue to prove we can survive a recession before we stick our necks out and go into debt.
It’s time for the City Council to determine priorities based on utilization. I think we all use roads, bridges, sewers and water from DeKalb. I think everything else is low use and shouldn’t be the top two expense items. I think the City squandered its revenue on low value activities and unsustainable, UN Agenda 21 compliant Master Plans that certainly don’t advance our freedom or protect private property rights.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
Sunday, September 25, 2011
City Spending
Letter to Editor, Dunwoody Crier 9-14-11
Reasons I am totally against Dunwoody going further into debt:
- City is too young and inexperienced to spend so much so rapidly.
- As surrounding areas deteriorate, Dunwoody will be affected…we will have no choice.
- Many once proud, majestic cities now look like third world countries by over spending.
- Take a drive off your regular path and look at the number of businesses closed! I did recently and was shocked! Be sure and do this before you vote to indebt Dunwoody!
- 13,746 households each paid $1,164 for PVC park land. Proposed $33 mil would mean almost $2,400 more for each household. The TSTOP will mean even more.
- In addition to the initial cost, imagine the expense for government workers for upkeep (just the thought sends a shiver up my spine!).
- A bargain is a bargain only if it is for something you need, not want.
- No matter how much Dunwoody pride we have, we do not live in a bubble with a generous benefactor waiting to refill the coffers once they are depleted.
- Being optimistic with sweet, happy, positive thoughts will not eliminate financial crises.
- Spending will not eliminate debt.
- World economic conditions have shown no improvement in 4 years—getting worse!
- We had better take control over what we can vote on as we do not have any control over slight of hand tax laws being considered/passed on the national level.
- Not bankrupting the future of the children is a much better gift than a bigger park or a closer soccer field.
Sorry if you don’t like my Scrooge attitude, but we had better pay attention and not let a few emotionally driven people convince us to go with the flow because it will be good for us later. Well, after 4 years of things getting continually worse, our later is NOW!!
Jeanette Smith, Dunwoody GA 30360
Reasons I am totally against Dunwoody going further into debt:
- City is too young and inexperienced to spend so much so rapidly.
- As surrounding areas deteriorate, Dunwoody will be affected…we will have no choice.
- Many once proud, majestic cities now look like third world countries by over spending.
- Take a drive off your regular path and look at the number of businesses closed! I did recently and was shocked! Be sure and do this before you vote to indebt Dunwoody!
- 13,746 households each paid $1,164 for PVC park land. Proposed $33 mil would mean almost $2,400 more for each household. The TSTOP will mean even more.
- In addition to the initial cost, imagine the expense for government workers for upkeep (just the thought sends a shiver up my spine!).
- A bargain is a bargain only if it is for something you need, not want.
- No matter how much Dunwoody pride we have, we do not live in a bubble with a generous benefactor waiting to refill the coffers once they are depleted.
- Being optimistic with sweet, happy, positive thoughts will not eliminate financial crises.
- Spending will not eliminate debt.
- World economic conditions have shown no improvement in 4 years—getting worse!
- We had better take control over what we can vote on as we do not have any control over slight of hand tax laws being considered/passed on the national level.
- Not bankrupting the future of the children is a much better gift than a bigger park or a closer soccer field.
Sorry if you don’t like my Scrooge attitude, but we had better pay attention and not let a few emotionally driven people convince us to go with the flow because it will be good for us later. Well, after 4 years of things getting continually worse, our later is NOW!!
Jeanette Smith, Dunwoody GA 30360
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Dunwoody City Council Elections
The Dunwoody GA Tea Party urges conservatives in Districts 2 and 3 to step up and run for city council rep this November.
Those willing to become candidates have until 4:30 PM, September 2, 2011 to file. You will need about $360 to file as a candidate at city hall and yard signs are $3 each. You really don’t need a website, you can get a free blog from Google through blogspot.com.
Time is running out to replace the Dunwoody City Council with Reps who would stop the spending spree on fluff. We need a City Council willing to live within its means and not send us into debt.
We expect inflation to worsen because the Federal Reserve has printed trillions of dollars out of thin air. Federal debt is always repaid by printing money, debasing the dollar and causing prices to inflate.
We oppose bond issues because you pay double for what you get. You have to pay bond holders interest on what you borrow. If you agree that inflation is coming, it’s not a good idea to be on either end of a bond. As inflation picks up, bond values crash and the interest you pay is increased.
We hope to have a totally different federal government after November 2012, but for now, we are headed for ‘not a pretty place’. Now is the time for conservatives to step up.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader, NTL Conservative Blog. ntl@mindspring.com
Those willing to become candidates have until 4:30 PM, September 2, 2011 to file. You will need about $360 to file as a candidate at city hall and yard signs are $3 each. You really don’t need a website, you can get a free blog from Google through blogspot.com.
Time is running out to replace the Dunwoody City Council with Reps who would stop the spending spree on fluff. We need a City Council willing to live within its means and not send us into debt.
We expect inflation to worsen because the Federal Reserve has printed trillions of dollars out of thin air. Federal debt is always repaid by printing money, debasing the dollar and causing prices to inflate.
We oppose bond issues because you pay double for what you get. You have to pay bond holders interest on what you borrow. If you agree that inflation is coming, it’s not a good idea to be on either end of a bond. As inflation picks up, bond values crash and the interest you pay is increased.
We hope to have a totally different federal government after November 2012, but for now, we are headed for ‘not a pretty place’. Now is the time for conservatives to step up.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader, NTL Conservative Blog. ntl@mindspring.com
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Atlanta Regional Transportation Plan 2040 - Vote No
In its current form, we urge voters in the 10 county area to VOTE NO on the plan in November 2012. We would support a vote in 2013 if the State Law that authorizing ARC is amended to ensure county sovereignty rather than allowing a total 10 county vote for passage.
Vote in 2013
This plan is consistent with the current federal DOT U.N. Agenda 21 implementation scheme. If the Democrats lose the White House and Senate, the federal DOT support of U.N. Agenda 21 goals will cease. Scheduling this vote in November 2012 is too soon.
Violates County Sovereignty
This is a top down, take it or leave it plan, that violates county sovereignty. This Plan has been massaged to death by an appointed board, expensive consultants and DOT staffers. It has been mandated by the federal government to include public transit in order to receive 25% federal matching funds.
We suggest that ARC take their $6.1 billion plan and present it for a county by county vote. The plan would be a starter list for the voters of each county to reach consensus by taking a poll where voters can vote yes or no on each project. That would help county commissions identify and eliminate the unpopular projects. They can take the final list of surviving projects for their county and propose it for a vote in 2013.
The end result should maintain county sovereignty and allow county residents to vote whether or not to approve the final list each county commission selects. Counties should consider how much they really believe a 1 cent sales tax will deliver over the next 10 years. It should not be an excuse for counties to eliminate their road maintenance projects or budgets, or divert these funds to fluff projects. It should be restricted to only include county roads. Cities have their own roads and need to propose their own improvements for a vote.
Revise ARC Law
To allow a real bottom-up list to arise, counties will need to do their jobs. They will need to take the ARC list and make sure voter consensus is strong enough to pass. They will then need to adopt it or revise it and put it on the 2013 ballot for a vote. The Georgia Legislature will need to revise the law that authorized the ARC Plan to allow sovereign counties to have the final say.
Public Transit
We believe all public transit should be privatized. Public transit is unsustainable and should not be expanded. That means that MARTA and GRTA should be sold to private transit companies. We oppose tax subsidies for transit.
HUD & MARTA
MARTA owns land around their train stations. They plan to lease this land to apartment developers. The idea is to have transit oriented villages next to each MARTA station. These stations are next to large shopping malls. As these apartments age and rents drop, these apartments will become HUD Section 8 housing units. The riots of subsidized housed youth in the U.K. suggests that you might not want to put HUD housing next to your malls.
Democrats vs. Republicans
If Democrats prevail in 2012, we can expect the continuation of Obama-care implementation costs, continued restrictions on domestic energy production, a five-fold increases in our electric bills, a doubling of automobile sticker prices and no relief from EPA, banking and other regulations Democrats will continue to push for U.S. compliance with U.N.carbon dioxide emission standards, trillion dollar deficit spending will continue and unemployment will reach 50%. By 2016, we will become a socialist republic with a flat 50% tax rate.
If Republicans prevail in 2012, we can expect a freeze in federal spending. All support for the climate change hoax will cease. We could expect the repeal of Obama-care, Dodd-Frank, EPA carbon emission restrictions and other laws. Our hope is that the federal government would begin to transfer their unconstitutional responsibilities to the States. States would need to revise their budgets to absorb these responsibilities and actually stop spending on fluff. The free market will be free to operate.
Federal Funding
We realize that if we remove public transit from the plan, or abandon the regional model, we may lose some or all of the $1.5 to $2 billion in federal funding. We know MARTA expenses are about $750 million a year, income is about $120 million a year and tax subsidies are about $630 million a year. We know doubling public transit would double these numbers. Expenses for public trains and buses would be $1.5 billion a year, income would be $240 million a year and subsidies would be $1.26 billion a year. Over 10 years, we would subsidize public transit by $12.6 billion. We could widen lots of roads and highways for $12.6 billion. We think this $1.5 to $2 billion federal bribe is an easy one to walk away from.
The Vote
We believe each voter should base their vote on whether or not they will ever use trains or buses. They only go where they go and so far, that hasn’t been where we need to go. We mostly use cars and public transit utilization has always been low in the Atlanta Metro area. Even with federal bribes, we cannot imagine the plan would pass in its current form. If transit subsidies could be removed and federal funding could be preserved and counties were allowed to remain sovereign, we think it would pass.
Toll Lanes
We don’t like toll lanes and will continue to avoid using them until they are abolished. We object to restrictions on road improvements in the contracts with private toll road companies. This violates county sovereignty.
Government Reform
We want to see city and county governments to limit spending of current tax dollars to roads, bridges, water and sewers, reduce its footprint and spend less on everything else. We want government to stop spending money on fluff, special interest projects, low utilization services, failed business models and subsidies. We don’t like deficit spending that causes us to spend double for what we get to pay off Bonds. We want government to sell its wildlife preserves to the Sierra Club.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader, ntl@mindspring.com, NTL Conservative Blog, 770-394-1284
Vote in 2013
This plan is consistent with the current federal DOT U.N. Agenda 21 implementation scheme. If the Democrats lose the White House and Senate, the federal DOT support of U.N. Agenda 21 goals will cease. Scheduling this vote in November 2012 is too soon.
Violates County Sovereignty
This is a top down, take it or leave it plan, that violates county sovereignty. This Plan has been massaged to death by an appointed board, expensive consultants and DOT staffers. It has been mandated by the federal government to include public transit in order to receive 25% federal matching funds.
We suggest that ARC take their $6.1 billion plan and present it for a county by county vote. The plan would be a starter list for the voters of each county to reach consensus by taking a poll where voters can vote yes or no on each project. That would help county commissions identify and eliminate the unpopular projects. They can take the final list of surviving projects for their county and propose it for a vote in 2013.
The end result should maintain county sovereignty and allow county residents to vote whether or not to approve the final list each county commission selects. Counties should consider how much they really believe a 1 cent sales tax will deliver over the next 10 years. It should not be an excuse for counties to eliminate their road maintenance projects or budgets, or divert these funds to fluff projects. It should be restricted to only include county roads. Cities have their own roads and need to propose their own improvements for a vote.
Revise ARC Law
To allow a real bottom-up list to arise, counties will need to do their jobs. They will need to take the ARC list and make sure voter consensus is strong enough to pass. They will then need to adopt it or revise it and put it on the 2013 ballot for a vote. The Georgia Legislature will need to revise the law that authorized the ARC Plan to allow sovereign counties to have the final say.
Public Transit
We believe all public transit should be privatized. Public transit is unsustainable and should not be expanded. That means that MARTA and GRTA should be sold to private transit companies. We oppose tax subsidies for transit.
HUD & MARTA
MARTA owns land around their train stations. They plan to lease this land to apartment developers. The idea is to have transit oriented villages next to each MARTA station. These stations are next to large shopping malls. As these apartments age and rents drop, these apartments will become HUD Section 8 housing units. The riots of subsidized housed youth in the U.K. suggests that you might not want to put HUD housing next to your malls.
Democrats vs. Republicans
If Democrats prevail in 2012, we can expect the continuation of Obama-care implementation costs, continued restrictions on domestic energy production, a five-fold increases in our electric bills, a doubling of automobile sticker prices and no relief from EPA, banking and other regulations Democrats will continue to push for U.S. compliance with U.N.carbon dioxide emission standards, trillion dollar deficit spending will continue and unemployment will reach 50%. By 2016, we will become a socialist republic with a flat 50% tax rate.
If Republicans prevail in 2012, we can expect a freeze in federal spending. All support for the climate change hoax will cease. We could expect the repeal of Obama-care, Dodd-Frank, EPA carbon emission restrictions and other laws. Our hope is that the federal government would begin to transfer their unconstitutional responsibilities to the States. States would need to revise their budgets to absorb these responsibilities and actually stop spending on fluff. The free market will be free to operate.
Federal Funding
We realize that if we remove public transit from the plan, or abandon the regional model, we may lose some or all of the $1.5 to $2 billion in federal funding. We know MARTA expenses are about $750 million a year, income is about $120 million a year and tax subsidies are about $630 million a year. We know doubling public transit would double these numbers. Expenses for public trains and buses would be $1.5 billion a year, income would be $240 million a year and subsidies would be $1.26 billion a year. Over 10 years, we would subsidize public transit by $12.6 billion. We could widen lots of roads and highways for $12.6 billion. We think this $1.5 to $2 billion federal bribe is an easy one to walk away from.
The Vote
We believe each voter should base their vote on whether or not they will ever use trains or buses. They only go where they go and so far, that hasn’t been where we need to go. We mostly use cars and public transit utilization has always been low in the Atlanta Metro area. Even with federal bribes, we cannot imagine the plan would pass in its current form. If transit subsidies could be removed and federal funding could be preserved and counties were allowed to remain sovereign, we think it would pass.
Toll Lanes
We don’t like toll lanes and will continue to avoid using them until they are abolished. We object to restrictions on road improvements in the contracts with private toll road companies. This violates county sovereignty.
Government Reform
We want to see city and county governments to limit spending of current tax dollars to roads, bridges, water and sewers, reduce its footprint and spend less on everything else. We want government to stop spending money on fluff, special interest projects, low utilization services, failed business models and subsidies. We don’t like deficit spending that causes us to spend double for what we get to pay off Bonds. We want government to sell its wildlife preserves to the Sierra Club.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader, ntl@mindspring.com, NTL Conservative Blog, 770-394-1284
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Aftershock III
We in the Tea Party continue to press for large cuts in government debt and large cuts in federal spending. We opposed raising the debt ceiling. It’s not just political opposition. We noticed that the Federal Reserve has increased the money supply almost 300% and lent $16 trillion to U.S. and foreign banks. The Fed bought toxic assets and now owns 30% of U.S. Treasury Bonds. We know that inflation will follow. We know when this happens, local government at all levels will not be able to pay their debt service payments.
We believe “climate change” is a hoax, but government continues their spending frenzy on their “green” scam, wasting money we will have to repay one way or another. We want to freeze federal government spending to not exceed 2008 levels for the next decade, now. We believe Obama has illegally added $1 trillion a year to federal spending.
We believe there are three more bubbles about to break, government debt, the dollar devaluation and consumer debt. These will be followed by another round of asset crashes in dollar denominated assets. These bubbles were created by current government policy, money printing and spending. This meltdown will affect everything, asset values will crash and high levels of inflation will kick in within the next two years. Current government spending will result in raising our debt from $14.5 trillion to $16 trillion by 2013.
As inflation begins, the government will have the Fed buy all U.S. Treasury Bonds to hold their debt service payments to below market interest rates. The real inflation the Fed has created will hit state and local governments and U.S. consumers. As inflation moves from 5% to 10% in 2013, our home and consumer debt interest rates will rise above 10%. Long term bonds will suffer heavy losses as inflation kicks in. The current 10 year U.S. government OMB budget has planned increases to $5.7 trillion by 2021. They do not currently plan to cut spending. They will implement their plans to create a domestic national police force and begin to seize our cash and property assets. This will be our Bolshevik moment. We will become a one party communist dictatorship with 50% unemployment.
The reckless actions currently being taken by our federal government will again result in a global economic meltdown. Our current depression will become a global depression and will last for decades. The 300% increase in the money supply may well be a 600% increase in the money supply if we don’t freeze government spending now. We can repay the 300% increase in the money supply with 30% inflation for 10 years, or any combination that eats up 300%.
Raising the debt ceiling now on our federal debt will only result in ensuring our insolvency. It will make our inflation $2.4 trillion worse. Printing money to keep the economy propped up will result in inflation of 15% to 30% by 2014. As the value of the U.S. dollar continues to decline, government debt continues to climb. Gold will increase 300%. The result will leave the private economy too weak to recover.
All dollar denominated assets including land, houses, stocks and bonds will lose most of their value. Land and houses could lose another 50%, stocks and bonds could use 90%. Unemployment could hit 50%. Credit card rates will rise with inflation.
Tea Partiers would cut federal government spending by closing useless, harmful, wasteful and unconstitutional federal departments and sending these functions back to the states, now.
We are furious at Obama and the Democrats who used the global warming scam to squander trillions of dollars on the carbon capture myth. We also don’t like anything being done by federal government departments and agencies. Read their own mission statements on their websites; you will see how delusional they are. If we closed them and gave these functions to the states, we wouldn’t miss any of them.
Most federal departments are now tasked with crashing our economy with wasteful spending, overreach, tyrannical control and lawlessness. It’s a gangster government on steroids. We believe Obama wants to collapse the United States economy and replace the U.S. government with a tyrannical global government run by the same elite international environmental nut-jobs at the U.N. who wrote U.N. Agenda 21. The communist party USA just endorsed Obama for reelection, surprise, surprise.
If we cut all unconstitutional federal government spending, we would close 8 departments including Agriculture, Labor, Transportation, Education, State, Energy, Interior and Commerce and give these functions to the states. These agencies have done the most damage in recent years, spending trillions on undermining our sovereignty and financial stability. We would close most agencies and programs and give these functions to the states.
We would give all national parks and federal lands to the states. We would close the U.N., the IMF and eventually, the Federal Reserve. We would cut the remaining departments and agencies to remove all grants, foreign aid, nation building and all unnecessary military bases. We would save $1.4 trillion per year in federal government cuts and balance the budget. Some cuts could come immediately and others would take years to transfer.
We would repeal Obama-care, Dodd-Frank, Sarbanes Oxley, the NLRA and all bad or unnecessary laws passed since 1913. We would make sure harmful laws buried in the Obama-care, TARP, Stimulus, Patriot Act and Omnibus Spending legislation are repealed. We would restore our property rights and freedom from government seizure.
We would not cut social security payments to current recipients. We would try to get the government out of the retirement, healthcare, lending, banking, manufacturing and insurance businesses as quickly as possible. We would raise the Social Security and Medicare eligibility age to 67 for citizens under age 50. We would terminate all pension plans and convert them to defined contribution plans like 401ks. We would encourage states to sell all land over time and get ready to end current transit projects and allow for school vouchers based on reduced budgets. We would end all subsidies and giveaways and simplify the tax code.
We encourage you to continue to email your representatives as I did below:
To: Barack Obama , Saxby Chambliss, Johnny Isakson, Tom Price
As a proud member of TheTeaParty.net I would like to tell you the following:
Wasteful government spending continues to threaten our economy. There is no reason to squander billions to reduce carbon emissions. We believe our atmosphere releases these "greenhouse" gases. This hoax was perpetrated to elevate the U.N. and its dangerous Agenda 21. We believe your money printing will result in double digit inflation that will crash our economy. We believe you've passed dangerous laws embedded in TARP, Healthcare, Stimulus and Omnibus laws that give you tyrannical powers to rob us of our property. We distrust everything you do. Read the mission statements of your own departments and agencies. They are full of climate change and trivia. You are an embarrassment.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party
We believe “climate change” is a hoax, but government continues their spending frenzy on their “green” scam, wasting money we will have to repay one way or another. We want to freeze federal government spending to not exceed 2008 levels for the next decade, now. We believe Obama has illegally added $1 trillion a year to federal spending.
We believe there are three more bubbles about to break, government debt, the dollar devaluation and consumer debt. These will be followed by another round of asset crashes in dollar denominated assets. These bubbles were created by current government policy, money printing and spending. This meltdown will affect everything, asset values will crash and high levels of inflation will kick in within the next two years. Current government spending will result in raising our debt from $14.5 trillion to $16 trillion by 2013.
As inflation begins, the government will have the Fed buy all U.S. Treasury Bonds to hold their debt service payments to below market interest rates. The real inflation the Fed has created will hit state and local governments and U.S. consumers. As inflation moves from 5% to 10% in 2013, our home and consumer debt interest rates will rise above 10%. Long term bonds will suffer heavy losses as inflation kicks in. The current 10 year U.S. government OMB budget has planned increases to $5.7 trillion by 2021. They do not currently plan to cut spending. They will implement their plans to create a domestic national police force and begin to seize our cash and property assets. This will be our Bolshevik moment. We will become a one party communist dictatorship with 50% unemployment.
The reckless actions currently being taken by our federal government will again result in a global economic meltdown. Our current depression will become a global depression and will last for decades. The 300% increase in the money supply may well be a 600% increase in the money supply if we don’t freeze government spending now. We can repay the 300% increase in the money supply with 30% inflation for 10 years, or any combination that eats up 300%.
Raising the debt ceiling now on our federal debt will only result in ensuring our insolvency. It will make our inflation $2.4 trillion worse. Printing money to keep the economy propped up will result in inflation of 15% to 30% by 2014. As the value of the U.S. dollar continues to decline, government debt continues to climb. Gold will increase 300%. The result will leave the private economy too weak to recover.
All dollar denominated assets including land, houses, stocks and bonds will lose most of their value. Land and houses could lose another 50%, stocks and bonds could use 90%. Unemployment could hit 50%. Credit card rates will rise with inflation.
Tea Partiers would cut federal government spending by closing useless, harmful, wasteful and unconstitutional federal departments and sending these functions back to the states, now.
We are furious at Obama and the Democrats who used the global warming scam to squander trillions of dollars on the carbon capture myth. We also don’t like anything being done by federal government departments and agencies. Read their own mission statements on their websites; you will see how delusional they are. If we closed them and gave these functions to the states, we wouldn’t miss any of them.
Most federal departments are now tasked with crashing our economy with wasteful spending, overreach, tyrannical control and lawlessness. It’s a gangster government on steroids. We believe Obama wants to collapse the United States economy and replace the U.S. government with a tyrannical global government run by the same elite international environmental nut-jobs at the U.N. who wrote U.N. Agenda 21. The communist party USA just endorsed Obama for reelection, surprise, surprise.
If we cut all unconstitutional federal government spending, we would close 8 departments including Agriculture, Labor, Transportation, Education, State, Energy, Interior and Commerce and give these functions to the states. These agencies have done the most damage in recent years, spending trillions on undermining our sovereignty and financial stability. We would close most agencies and programs and give these functions to the states.
We would give all national parks and federal lands to the states. We would close the U.N., the IMF and eventually, the Federal Reserve. We would cut the remaining departments and agencies to remove all grants, foreign aid, nation building and all unnecessary military bases. We would save $1.4 trillion per year in federal government cuts and balance the budget. Some cuts could come immediately and others would take years to transfer.
We would repeal Obama-care, Dodd-Frank, Sarbanes Oxley, the NLRA and all bad or unnecessary laws passed since 1913. We would make sure harmful laws buried in the Obama-care, TARP, Stimulus, Patriot Act and Omnibus Spending legislation are repealed. We would restore our property rights and freedom from government seizure.
We would not cut social security payments to current recipients. We would try to get the government out of the retirement, healthcare, lending, banking, manufacturing and insurance businesses as quickly as possible. We would raise the Social Security and Medicare eligibility age to 67 for citizens under age 50. We would terminate all pension plans and convert them to defined contribution plans like 401ks. We would encourage states to sell all land over time and get ready to end current transit projects and allow for school vouchers based on reduced budgets. We would end all subsidies and giveaways and simplify the tax code.
We encourage you to continue to email your representatives as I did below:
To: Barack Obama , Saxby Chambliss, Johnny Isakson, Tom Price
As a proud member of TheTeaParty.net I would like to tell you the following:
Wasteful government spending continues to threaten our economy. There is no reason to squander billions to reduce carbon emissions. We believe our atmosphere releases these "greenhouse" gases. This hoax was perpetrated to elevate the U.N. and its dangerous Agenda 21. We believe your money printing will result in double digit inflation that will crash our economy. We believe you've passed dangerous laws embedded in TARP, Healthcare, Stimulus and Omnibus laws that give you tyrannical powers to rob us of our property. We distrust everything you do. Read the mission statements of your own departments and agencies. They are full of climate change and trivia. You are an embarrassment.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Cut $1 Trillion a year
The U.S. Federal Departments and Agencies have lost their way. Some never had a way to begin with. Many are working on climate change; a myth. They are an embarrassment. Others are implementing U.S. Agenda 21 using climate change as a pretense for forming a one world socialist government. They are dangerous. Some are keeping us from drilling our own oil and natural gas. Most are damaging our economy and undermining our sovereignty. Some are just irrelevant. We can no longer afford them. We need to close them and let the States take over these functions. We would be far better off if we followed the Constitution as written.
Agriculture Cut $145.547 billion, close it and give it to the states. USDA Mission Statement: The USDA will continue to coordinate with other Departments and Federal government efforts on climate change adaptation issues that cut across agency jurisdictions, including areas where national adaptation plans are being or have been developed, and will identify a process for sharing climate change adaptation planning information throughout the Department and with the public.
Labor, cut $131.893 billion, close it and give it to the states. DOL Strategic Plan: The Secretary of Labor is pleased to introduce the first DOL Strategic Plan under this Administration – our roadmap for continuing to meet the workplace and economic challenges we face as a Nation. Contained within these pages are the ways in which DOL will carry out my vision for the future: good jobs for everyone. Here’s what I mean by a “good job”: A good job increases workers’ incomes, narrows wage and income inequality and provides workplace flexibility for family and personal care-giving; A good job helps workers who are in low-wage jobs or out of the labor market find a path into middle-class jobs, and helps middle-class families remain in the middle class; A good job ensures workplaces are safe and healthy, and assures workers a voice in the workplace; A good job breaks down barriers to fair and diverse workplaces so that every worker’s contribution is respected; A good job fosters fair working conditions in the global marketplace; A good job provides opportunities to acquire the skills and knowledge for the jobs of the future – like green jobs; A good job facilitates return to work for workers experiencing workplace injuries or illnesses who are able to work; A good job provides income security when work is impossible or unavailable; and A good job provides health benefits and retirement security. The Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics allows us to know whether Americans are obtaining “good jobs” by generating accurate, timely statistics reflecting the condition of workers in various labor markets and the economy as a whole
Transportation, cut $129.277 billion, close it and give it to the states. POLICY STATEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION June 2011 The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) shall integrate consideration of climate change impacts and adaptation into the planning, operations, policies, and programs of DOT in order to ensure that taxpayer resources are invested wisely and that transportation infrastructure, services and operations remain effective in current and future climate conditions. The climate is changing and the transportation sector needs to prepare for its impacts. Through climate change adaptation efforts, the transportation sector can adjust to future changes, minimize negative effects and take advantage of new opportunities. Accordingly, DOT modal administrations shall incorporate consideration of climate adaptation into their planning processes and investment decisions. DOT encourages State, regional and local transportation agencies to consider climate change impacts in their decision-making, as well.
Education, cut $93 billion, close it and give it to the states. Mission Congress established the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on May 4, 1980, in the Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88 of October 1979). Under this law, ED's mission is to: Strengthen the Federal commitment to assuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual; Supplement and complement the efforts of states, the local school systems and other instrumentalities of the states, the private sector, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents, and students to improve the quality of education; Encourage the increased involvement of the public, parents, and students in Federal education programs Promote improvements in the quality and usefulness of education through Federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information; Improve the coordination of Federal education programs; Improve the management of Federal education activities; and Increase the accountability of Federal education programs to the President, the Congress, and the public.
State Department, cut $31.752 billion, close it. Mission Statement: Create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.
International Assistance, cut $40.7 billion, close it. A State Department budget.
Energy, cut $24.154 billion, close it. The mission of the Department of Energy is to ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. Goals: 1. Transform our Energy Systems - Catalyze the timely, material, and efficient transformation of the nation's energy system and secure U.S. leadership in clean energy technologies. 2. The Science and Engineering Enterprise - Maintain a vibrant U.S. effort in science and engineering as a cornerstone of our economic prosperity, with clear leadership in strategic areas. 3. Secure Our Nation - Enhance nuclear security through defense, nonproliferation, and environmental efforts. 4. Management and Operational Excellence - Establish an operational and adaptable framework that combines the best wisdom of all Department stakeholders to maximize mission success.
Railroad Retirement, cut $6.9 billion, close it. Fold it into Social Security.
HUD, cut $51.877 billion, close it. HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business.
Other Programs, cut $61.575 billion and close them.
NASA, cut $18.72 billion, and close it. NASA's new vision statement? "To reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind."
EPA. Cut $8.94 billion, close it and give it to the states. EPA is charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.
National Science Foundation Cut $7.77 billion, close it and give it to the states. The NSF Vision: Advancing discovery, innovation, and education beyond the frontiers of current knowledge and empowering future generations in science and engineering
Railroad Retirement, cut $6.9 billion, close it and give it to Social Security. The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (or RRB) is an independent agency in the executive branch of the United States government created in 1935[1] to administer a social insurance program providing retirement benefits to the country's railroad workers.
IMF, cut $100 billion and close it. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.
UN, cut $1.8 billion and close it. We the Peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom
U.S. Postal Service, cut $5.95 billion subsidy. The United States Postal Service (also known as USPS, the Post Office or U.S. Mail) is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution.
TVA, cut $1.13 billion and give it to Tennessee. The mission of the Tennessee Valley Authority is to develop and operate the Tennessee River system to improve navigation, minimize flood damage, and to provide energy and related products and services safely, reliably, and at the lowest feasible cost to residents and businesses in the multi-state Tennessee Valley region. TVA’s integrated management of the entire Tennessee River watershed optimizes the benefits of the water resource. Major functions of the corporation include: Management of the Tennessee River system for multiple purposes including navigation, flood control, power generation, water quality, public lands conservation, recreation, and economic development; Generation of electricity; Sale and transmission of electricity to wholesale and large industrial customers; Stimulation of economic development activities that generate a higher quality of life for citizens of the Tennessee Valley; Preservation and environmentally-sensitive management of TVA assets and federal lands entrusted to TVA; and Research and technology development that addresses environmental problems related to TVA’s statutory responsibilities for river and land management and power generation.
Smithsonian, cut 1.05 billion close it and give it to the Washington DC city government. It’s a big museum.
SBA, cut $984 million and close it. Mission Statement The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. We recognize that small business is critical to our economic recovery and strength, to building America's future, and to helping the United States compete in today's global marketplace. Although SBA has grown and evolved in the years since it was established in 1953, the bottom line mission remains the same. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Guam.
Broadcasting Board of Governors cut $767 million and close it.
Mission: To serve as an example of a free and professional press, reaching a worldwide audience with news, information and relevant discussions. The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) encompasses all U.S. civilian international broadcasting, including the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), Radio and TV Marti, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) - Radio Sawa and Alhurra Television. BBG broadcasters distribute programming in 60 languages to an estimated weekly audience of 175 million people via radio, TV, the Internet, and other new media.
Interior, cut $12.784 billion, give the land to the states, close it. Its Mission is to Protecting America’s Great Outdoors and Powering Our Future. The U.S. Department of the Interior protects America’s natural resources and heritage, honors our cultures and tribal communities, and supplies the energy to power our future.
Commerce, cut $8.427 billion, close it. The Department of Commerce promotes job creation, economic growth, sustainable development, and improved living standards for all Americans, by working in partnership with business, universities, communities, and workers to: 1. Build for the future and promote U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace, by strengthening and safeguarding the nation’s economic infrastructure; 2. Keep America competitive with cutting-edge science and technology and an unrivaled information base; and, 3. Provide effective management and stewardship of our nation’s resources and assets to ensure sustainable economic opportunities.
The Mission, Vision and Goal Statements of most departments are rife with climate change enforcement. Dr Roy Spencer and Dr. David Bradwell, U of A, Huntsville published their findings that the earth’s atmosphere does not retain heat in the July 2011 Journal of Remote Sensing. Before Obama, these departments didn’t really have anything to do but follow everybody around. Now they are aggressively enforcing regulations that don’t matter. It’s time to clean house and close them all.
Agriculture Cut $145.547 billion, close it and give it to the states. USDA Mission Statement: The USDA will continue to coordinate with other Departments and Federal government efforts on climate change adaptation issues that cut across agency jurisdictions, including areas where national adaptation plans are being or have been developed, and will identify a process for sharing climate change adaptation planning information throughout the Department and with the public.
Labor, cut $131.893 billion, close it and give it to the states. DOL Strategic Plan: The Secretary of Labor is pleased to introduce the first DOL Strategic Plan under this Administration – our roadmap for continuing to meet the workplace and economic challenges we face as a Nation. Contained within these pages are the ways in which DOL will carry out my vision for the future: good jobs for everyone. Here’s what I mean by a “good job”: A good job increases workers’ incomes, narrows wage and income inequality and provides workplace flexibility for family and personal care-giving; A good job helps workers who are in low-wage jobs or out of the labor market find a path into middle-class jobs, and helps middle-class families remain in the middle class; A good job ensures workplaces are safe and healthy, and assures workers a voice in the workplace; A good job breaks down barriers to fair and diverse workplaces so that every worker’s contribution is respected; A good job fosters fair working conditions in the global marketplace; A good job provides opportunities to acquire the skills and knowledge for the jobs of the future – like green jobs; A good job facilitates return to work for workers experiencing workplace injuries or illnesses who are able to work; A good job provides income security when work is impossible or unavailable; and A good job provides health benefits and retirement security. The Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics allows us to know whether Americans are obtaining “good jobs” by generating accurate, timely statistics reflecting the condition of workers in various labor markets and the economy as a whole
Transportation, cut $129.277 billion, close it and give it to the states. POLICY STATEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION June 2011 The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) shall integrate consideration of climate change impacts and adaptation into the planning, operations, policies, and programs of DOT in order to ensure that taxpayer resources are invested wisely and that transportation infrastructure, services and operations remain effective in current and future climate conditions. The climate is changing and the transportation sector needs to prepare for its impacts. Through climate change adaptation efforts, the transportation sector can adjust to future changes, minimize negative effects and take advantage of new opportunities. Accordingly, DOT modal administrations shall incorporate consideration of climate adaptation into their planning processes and investment decisions. DOT encourages State, regional and local transportation agencies to consider climate change impacts in their decision-making, as well.
Education, cut $93 billion, close it and give it to the states. Mission Congress established the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on May 4, 1980, in the Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88 of October 1979). Under this law, ED's mission is to: Strengthen the Federal commitment to assuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual; Supplement and complement the efforts of states, the local school systems and other instrumentalities of the states, the private sector, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents, and students to improve the quality of education; Encourage the increased involvement of the public, parents, and students in Federal education programs Promote improvements in the quality and usefulness of education through Federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information; Improve the coordination of Federal education programs; Improve the management of Federal education activities; and Increase the accountability of Federal education programs to the President, the Congress, and the public.
State Department, cut $31.752 billion, close it. Mission Statement: Create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.
International Assistance, cut $40.7 billion, close it. A State Department budget.
Energy, cut $24.154 billion, close it. The mission of the Department of Energy is to ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. Goals: 1. Transform our Energy Systems - Catalyze the timely, material, and efficient transformation of the nation's energy system and secure U.S. leadership in clean energy technologies. 2. The Science and Engineering Enterprise - Maintain a vibrant U.S. effort in science and engineering as a cornerstone of our economic prosperity, with clear leadership in strategic areas. 3. Secure Our Nation - Enhance nuclear security through defense, nonproliferation, and environmental efforts. 4. Management and Operational Excellence - Establish an operational and adaptable framework that combines the best wisdom of all Department stakeholders to maximize mission success.
Railroad Retirement, cut $6.9 billion, close it. Fold it into Social Security.
HUD, cut $51.877 billion, close it. HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business.
Other Programs, cut $61.575 billion and close them.
NASA, cut $18.72 billion, and close it. NASA's new vision statement? "To reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind."
EPA. Cut $8.94 billion, close it and give it to the states. EPA is charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.
National Science Foundation Cut $7.77 billion, close it and give it to the states. The NSF Vision: Advancing discovery, innovation, and education beyond the frontiers of current knowledge and empowering future generations in science and engineering
Railroad Retirement, cut $6.9 billion, close it and give it to Social Security. The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (or RRB) is an independent agency in the executive branch of the United States government created in 1935[1] to administer a social insurance program providing retirement benefits to the country's railroad workers.
IMF, cut $100 billion and close it. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.
UN, cut $1.8 billion and close it. We the Peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom
U.S. Postal Service, cut $5.95 billion subsidy. The United States Postal Service (also known as USPS, the Post Office or U.S. Mail) is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution.
TVA, cut $1.13 billion and give it to Tennessee. The mission of the Tennessee Valley Authority is to develop and operate the Tennessee River system to improve navigation, minimize flood damage, and to provide energy and related products and services safely, reliably, and at the lowest feasible cost to residents and businesses in the multi-state Tennessee Valley region. TVA’s integrated management of the entire Tennessee River watershed optimizes the benefits of the water resource. Major functions of the corporation include: Management of the Tennessee River system for multiple purposes including navigation, flood control, power generation, water quality, public lands conservation, recreation, and economic development; Generation of electricity; Sale and transmission of electricity to wholesale and large industrial customers; Stimulation of economic development activities that generate a higher quality of life for citizens of the Tennessee Valley; Preservation and environmentally-sensitive management of TVA assets and federal lands entrusted to TVA; and Research and technology development that addresses environmental problems related to TVA’s statutory responsibilities for river and land management and power generation.
Smithsonian, cut 1.05 billion close it and give it to the Washington DC city government. It’s a big museum.
SBA, cut $984 million and close it. Mission Statement The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. We recognize that small business is critical to our economic recovery and strength, to building America's future, and to helping the United States compete in today's global marketplace. Although SBA has grown and evolved in the years since it was established in 1953, the bottom line mission remains the same. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Guam.
Broadcasting Board of Governors cut $767 million and close it.
Mission: To serve as an example of a free and professional press, reaching a worldwide audience with news, information and relevant discussions. The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) encompasses all U.S. civilian international broadcasting, including the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), Radio and TV Marti, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) - Radio Sawa and Alhurra Television. BBG broadcasters distribute programming in 60 languages to an estimated weekly audience of 175 million people via radio, TV, the Internet, and other new media.
Interior, cut $12.784 billion, give the land to the states, close it. Its Mission is to Protecting America’s Great Outdoors and Powering Our Future. The U.S. Department of the Interior protects America’s natural resources and heritage, honors our cultures and tribal communities, and supplies the energy to power our future.
Commerce, cut $8.427 billion, close it. The Department of Commerce promotes job creation, economic growth, sustainable development, and improved living standards for all Americans, by working in partnership with business, universities, communities, and workers to: 1. Build for the future and promote U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace, by strengthening and safeguarding the nation’s economic infrastructure; 2. Keep America competitive with cutting-edge science and technology and an unrivaled information base; and, 3. Provide effective management and stewardship of our nation’s resources and assets to ensure sustainable economic opportunities.
The Mission, Vision and Goal Statements of most departments are rife with climate change enforcement. Dr Roy Spencer and Dr. David Bradwell, U of A, Huntsville published their findings that the earth’s atmosphere does not retain heat in the July 2011 Journal of Remote Sensing. Before Obama, these departments didn’t really have anything to do but follow everybody around. Now they are aggressively enforcing regulations that don’t matter. It’s time to clean house and close them all.
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