There is a lot about this “cycle” which is totally upside down, but retail sales in May just might represent the apex of the Orwellian transformation; all on the say so of seasonal adjustments. The worst data in years, comparable only to the worst economic experiences in recent history, are now counted as a “surge” in spending and cause for both optimism and doom.
June Retail Sales—The Consumer Slump Becomes Even More Visible
by Jeffrey P. Snider • July 14, 2015
Stewardship is Dead
Senator Blutarsky on ‘Local Governance’ by James Quintero, 7/6/15 –
Elected “officials” LOVE to spend OPM – other peoples money. They love to promote foolish bonds, foolish projects and assorted boondoggles which accomplish little except for – PUBLIC responsibility for debt and losses, and PRIVATE recompense of profits and benefits.
Local toadies, including county judges and commissioners, city councils and policy makers , SCHOOL BOARDS, are usually “cozy” with assorted vendors, “engineering”-construction firms, lobbyists and the like for pet projects which render very low value for the public dollar and the poor taxpayers, whose neck is on the line.
This Speech On Abortion By A 12-Year-Old Left Her Pro-Choice Teacher Speechless
At first Lia’s pro-choice teacher told her that she was disqualified from the school’s speech competition because her topic was too controversial. But then she HEARD the speech and was so blown away she changed her mind. Lia went on to WIN the competition! And no wonder. Lia is more articulate than 98% of the people I know. If you agree, share her speech!
Tiny pro-life activist making big waves
From Culture of Life, by John Jalsevac, Dec 21, 2010 –
(LifeSiteNews.com) – When 12-year-old Lia Mills decided to tackle the topic of abortion for a grade 7 speech project in February 2009, neither she nor her family had any idea what lay in store for them.
Greece Disaster Shows Unavoidable Consequences of Socialism
From The Daily Signal, by Stephen Moore / @StephenMoore / July 11, 2015 –
The Greek citizens have rolled the dice and voted overwhelmingly to reject the “austerity” referendum. This was a way for voters to stick a finger in the eye of their creditors. The left around the world has responded to the vote with thunderous applause—and is selling the results as a vote for “the little guy.”
The Greeks believed that voting against the debt restructuring plan would give them more leverage with the banks, the IMF and the EU. But what happens now in Greece? The banks are shutting down this week. Withdrawals from bank accounts are being tightly restricted.
Greece is formally in default on its loans and in the weeks ahead as more IMF and EU loans come due, Greece is about to slide into fiscal oblivion. This is the natural and unavoidable consequence of socialism everywhere it has been tried.
Financial collapse.
Local Governance
National Debt Is Important, but Local Debt Is, Too
This commentary originally appeared in the Tyler Morning Telegraph on February 11, 2014.
Cities, counties, school districts, and special districts in Texas are drowning in debt.
According to newly-released data from the Texas Bond Review Board (BRB), Texas’ local governments had outstanding debts totaling more than $200 billion in fiscal year 2013. That marks an increase of more than $25 billion over the past five years.
On a per person basis, the amount of local debt that exists is equally concerning. In 2013, Texas’ local debt per capita — ranked as the 2nd highest among the top 10 most populous states in a September 2012 Texas Comptroller report — totaled more than $7,500 per Texan. That figure has also seen significant growth in recent years, when only ten years ago local debt per capita was just over $4,300 per person.
Texas Drowning In School Bond Debt, $75B Before Interest
Texas law makers often deserve our criticism, but we have only ourselves to blame for the enormous school bond debt we continue to heap upon ourselves. How far into the future must we look to see relief this unconscionable trend that has become even worse since the printing of this article?
Supporters of this outrage will tell you, “It’s for the kids”. What is actually “for the kids” – is a brutal slave master called debt!
See the following Breitbart article:
From Breitbart.com, 17 Nov 2014 –
Already on the hook for $65 billion in outstanding school bond debt approved and issued between 2007-2013, Texans voted in more mega-school bond debt statewide in 2014 that will pile nearly $10 billion more onto the statewide property tax payer tab. For public school debt alone, Texans will owe almost $75 billion — before interest.
Brandon Darby to speak at PARKER COUNTY CONSERVATIVE meeting
Join us on the evening of June 23 to hear Brandon Darby, the man who broke the story last June about the thousands of illegal immigrant children pouring across our southern border into Texas. Brandon has practically lived at the Texas/Mexican border the past two years where he has developed a good relationship with the Border Patrol. Currently the Managing Director for Breitbart Texas, Brandon has broken numerous stories about what is happening at the border that the mainstream media has refused to cover.
PCRW to host Professor Jeffry Addicott
Parker County Republican Women
Presents – Professor Jeffry Addicott
Director of the Center for Terrorism Law
St. Mary’s University School of Law
August 13, 2015 at 11:30
At the Doss Heritage Center
Lt. C ol. – US Army Retired
Courage
by Lenny Leatherman
Through the years I have noticed that it takes a significant amount of courage to stand solitarily against the collective will of a body.
Knowing he had absolutely nothing to gain by abstaining, and that it would probably cost him his Senate leadership role in the Agriculture, Rural Affairs, and Homeland Security Committee and the Committee on State Affairs, Senator Estes had the character and the courage to stand alone against the collective will of the Senate majority by not following the herd. He abstained from voting on a very popular bill among Senate Republicans; a bill I would have likely voted for.
Public employees get 30 vacation days a year. Anyone who works over eight hours in a day gets paid time-and-a-half. Employees have strong rights.
The minimum wage is high: 77 percent of the median wage.
Environmental regulations are settled beyond the pressure of local economic interests. The forests and mountains are pristine destinations for ecotourism.
Energy costs are kept high, pushing consumption down to a level deemed “socially beneficial”. Utilities have strong public backing and provide jobs to thousands.
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