quote:

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Originally posted by BuckNekkid:
If you consider that there have been an average of 160,000 troops in the
Iraq theater operations during the last 22 months, and a total of 2112
deaths, that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000.

The rate in Washington D.C. is 80.6 per 100,000. That means that you are
about 25% more likely to be shot and killed in our Nation's Capitol,
which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation, than you
are in Iraq.

Conclusion: We should immediately pull out of Washington D.C.

Oh wait - I forgot. Democrats don't like facts. Never mind.

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great reporting Buck !!

here's facts that the Dems don't like

"A student from the University of Washington has sold his soul on eBay for $400. He's a law student, so he probably doesn't need it, but still, that's not very much. Today, Hillary Clinton said, 'Hey, at least I got some furniture and a Senate seat for mine." —Jay Leno

posted 11-19-2005 09:59 AM         

(College Professor to Student: "Real Freedom Will Come When Soldiers In Iraq Turn Their Guns On Their Superiors..." ) http://www.yaf.org/
and are the ones we pay to educate our children

Nixon got us to withdraw from Vietnam because: 1. he promised, during the elections, that our troops would come back home [I did not entirely agree with the way it was done, but he was the elected president] 2. it was nearly impossible to destroy Vietnam 'without' next going to China to fight and face [one billion people] - impasse 3. remember, that it was Kennedy and Johnson who got us into the Vietnam War 4. for whatever reason,,,58,000 proud young men and women from the U.S. died,,,,millions served, and we owe them our respect, dignity, and honor.

posted 11-19-2005 09:32 PM         

In general, I am for reduction of the death penalty, mainly because the appeals (which we pay for) are so costly. Suppose that it works out that in 1% of cases the guilty were determined to have reached the very high criteria of "guilty with no doubt".... I would be for limiting the application of the death penalty to those individuals. Heck, I don't care if they get rid of the death penalty... just get rid of all the unnecessary appeals.

posted 11-19-2005 10:42 PM         

quote:

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Originally posted by heynow14:
Instead show me a City,State that isn't in the Red. ~Later

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An article on state budgets

Monday, August 15, 2005
Battered state budgets see relief in '05
By Kathleen Hunter, Stateline.org Staff Writer

Legislators in many states this year saw signs that the fiscal storm that raged during the past several years might finally be ending.

The biggest budget news was rebounding revenues. Lawmakers in the vast majority of states saw revenue collections creep out of the red as they drafted their 2006 budgets, after facing revenue shortfalls collectively totaling $235 billion since 2001.

"As their 2005 calendars moved along, there tended to be better and better news for states in terms of their revenue collections," said Arturo Perez, a fiscal analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures.

States in 2005 increased cigarette and other sin taxes, expanded gaming and sought other means to bring in all possible revenue. One state - Ohio - pioneered a new corporate tax, and another - Alaska - became the first to shift to a 401K-style pension plan for state employees.

A handful of states pursued caps on state spending, while still others - most notably Nevada, sought to provide relief from soaring property taxes.

As of Aug. 12, Michigan's was the only state legislature that still hadn't passed a budget for its 2006 fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.

The revenue news has been especially positive in states like Arkansas and Montana. Each ended the fiscal year with a record surplus of about $300 million. Arizona ended fiscal 2005 with the highest percentage increase in tax collections in 30 years. Virginia, which last year enacted a comprehensive tax-hike package, closed with a $544 million surplus.

State revenue in 2005 exceeded predictions in 42 states – a turnabout from 2002, when revenue failed to meet projections in 42 states. In only three states - Indiana, Missouri and Washington - revenue collections failed to meet targets for fiscal 2005, a July survey by the National Governors Association and National Association of State Budget Officers showed.

The recovery trend continued in many states during the first month of fiscal 2006. The Arkansas Department of Finance, for example, reported July revenues $10.5 million - or 3 percent - higher than projected.

Only five states - Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Rhode Island - had to plug holes in their 2005 budgets after the start of the fiscal year, down from 37 in 2003, according to NASBO.

posted 11-19-2005 11:06 PM         

Latest Fiscal Survey Add to MyNCSL

August 17, 2005

State Budget Crisis Ebbs, According to NCSL’s Latest Fiscal Survey
States expect to end FY 2005 with an aggregate balance of 7 percent
SEATTLE – State budgets are healthier than they’ve been in five years thanks to improving revenues and careful balancing of priorities by state legislators across the country, according to State Budget & Tax Actions 2005: Preliminary Report, released today by the National Conference of State Legislatures during its “Strong States, Strong Nation” 2005 Annual Meeting.

The 46 states that responded to NCSL’s budget survey ended fiscal year (FY) 2005 with an aggregate balance of $35.7 billion – an 8 percent increase from FY 2004. Wall Street analysts recommend a balance of at least 5 percent. States ended FY 2005 with 7 percent. That’s almost twice what they projected. No state ended FY 2005 with a deficit.

Legislative fiscal directors are projecting to end FY 2006 in the black as well – with an aggregate balance of 4.7 percent. At the same time, however, they expect spending to rise by 5.7 percent, mainly because of Medicaid, education and other needs.

“While we’ve turned the corner on this budget crisis. It’s only a recent development at this point, so we’re still feeling the effects and will for a while,” said NCSL President Del. John Hurson, of Maryland. “But I think that state legislators and American citizens should be commended for making and enduring the painful cuts of the past that have brought us to this point of recovery.”

Between FY 2001 and FY 2004, state legislators closed an aggregate budget gap of more than $235 billion. Temporary federal aid of $20 billion, half of which went toward Medicaid, helped. To bridge the rest, legislators had to cut programs, raise revenues and tap reserves

Rising revenues are a major factor in states’ improved fiscal health. FY 2005 revenues were 6.8 percent above FY 2004 levels. In 29 states, they were up more than 5 percent, with eight of these above 10 percent. In a departure from recent years, no state reported a decline in revenue.

Most of the revenue growth can be attributed to a general improvement in the nation’s economy. Some states did take tax actions in 2004 that brought in more funds as well. Last year’s actions generated $4.1 billion in additional revenue to states in FY 2005.

Because of large increases in Medicaid spending and the replacement of temporary federal aid in the previous two years, state spending rose 6.8 percent in FY 2005. Thirty-seven states spent at least 5 percent more than they did in FY 2004.

States also saved in FY 2005. Rainy day fund balances rose almost 14 percent to $20.3 billion.

Legislative fiscal directors expect the same forces that boosted FY 2005 spending to be at work in FY 2006. General fund support for Medicaid is budgeted to grow 7.2 percent in FY 2006, due, in large part, to rising health care costs. States budgeted 6 percent more for K-12 education and 5.7 percent more for higher education then they did last year. General fund spending for corrections is slated to grow 3.8 percent.

“States are feeling pressures from many different sources,” said NCSL Executive Director William Pound. “In addition to rising costs of health care and education, the federal government is adding to the burden by attempting to export its own deficit to the states. NCSL has identified $50 billion in cost shifts in the FY 2006 federal budget.”

States have, for the most part, managed to weather the fiscal storm without raising taxes. Actions taken in 2005 that will affect FY 2006 revenues will result in a net tax increase of $2.6 billion. States raised fees to bring in an expected $769 million as well. Of the 42 states reporting tax information, three cut taxes: Idaho, Iowa and Virginia. Eight states raised taxes by more than 1 percent: Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington.

In a reversal from last year’s $1.1 billion increase, states imposed a net cut of $330 million in personal income taxes. While six states raised personal income taxes, 14 cut them. Corporate income taxes increased by $617 million, up from $180 million last year. Twenty states changed their corporate business taxes, increasing them in 13 and reducing them in seven. States boosted sales and use taxes by $863 million, and new cigarette and tobacco tax increases will generate $1.1 billion.

posted 11-19-2005 11:20 PM         

quote:

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Originally posted by heynow14:
I mean were giving them democracy and helping them form an Islamic government like Iran.
~Later

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