Debt, Deficit, Vote for who??

Who are you going to vote for?  Here in Connecticut, it's getting pretty mud slamming to say the least. In my opinion - what a waste of time, money, and there isn't a messge yet!

Wherever you are - you may wish to look at the list below as you consider the canidates that are up for election. 

This list came out from The Daily Beast.  Actually it is an interesting slide show - click here.   To do the math - take the state's "debt 2010" divided by its GDP (gross domestic product) 2009.  The higher the percentage,  the worse position the state is in. 

There was an interesting additional piece of information in this list.  It listed the current/upcoming Budget Deficit.  Remember the deficit  means that current year revenue for the state, taxes collected from You, less the state's expenditures for programs, salaries, medical, etc.  The B - you know it - is for billion.

How does a state improve it's numbers.  One way is to let business do more business - that way the state's GDP goes up.  Another way and in my opinion, most important, the state should not not have a deficit in the budget.  At the end of a budget year, if the deficit held true, that shortfall of money turns into debt.  Three states listed say they have no deficit - hmmm? 

Who are you going to vote for?  One question (of many) that hasn't been truly answered yet - what are financial and fiscal policies that are going to be reviewed and acted upon?  Remember, government doesn't make jobs - small businesses make jobs.

Here's the list - click here to see the original

1 - Rhode Island 21.54%  ------  Budget Deficit  0.395 B
2 - Massachusetts 20.73% ----- Budget Deficit 2.700 B
3 - Alaska 18.50%  ------ Budget Deficit 0.000 B
4 - Connecticut 16.69%  ------ Budget Deficit 5.100 B
5 - Montana 16.66%  ------ Budget Deficit 2.700 B
6 - Vermont 15.64%  ------ Budget Deficit 0.338 B
7 - New Hampshire 13.55%  ------ Budget Deficit 0.365 B
8 - West Virginia 13.09%  ------ Budget Deficit 0.134 B
9 - New Jersey 12%  ------ Budget Deficit 10.070 B
10 - New Mexico 11.93% ------ Budget Deficit 0.333 B
11 - Maine 10.77% ------ Budget Deficit 0.940 B
12 - Delaware 10.77% ------ Budget Deficit 0.377 B
13 - South Carolina 10.75% ------ Budget Deficit .130 B
14 - Maryland 10.74% ------ Budget Deficit 2.000 B
15 - Illinois 10.71% ------ Budget Deficit 13.500 B
16 - Louisiana 10.57% ------ Budget Deficit 1.000 B
17 - New York 10.45% ------ Budget Deficit 8.500 B
18 - South Dakota 10.27% ------ Budget Deficit 0.102 B
19 - Hawaii 10.17% ------ Budget Deficit 0.594 B
20 - Pennsylvania 9.84% ------ Budget Deficit 4.100 B
21 - Wisconsin 9.71% ------ Budget Deficit 3.400 B
22 - Missouri 9.28% ------ Budget Deficit 0.730 B
23 - Kentucky 9.20% ------ Budget Deficit 0.780 B
24 - Indiana 9.13% ------ Budget Deficit 1.300 B
25 - Washington 9.09% ------ Budget Deficit 1.200 B
26 - Mississippi 8.49% ------ Budget Deficit 0.716 B
27 - North Dakota 7.87% ------ Budget Deficit 0.000 B28 - Oklahoma 7.78% ------ Budget Deficit 0.725 B
29 - Idaho 7.68% ------ Budget Deficit 0.840 B
30 - Michigan (ratio not listed)
31 - Florida 7.59% ------ Budget Deficit 4.700 B
32 - California 7.30% ------ Budget Deficit 17.9 B
33 - Colorado 7.22% ------ Budget Deficit 1.500 B
34 - Oregon 6.90% ------ Budget Deficit 2.500 B
35 - Virginia 6.87% ------ Budget Deficit 1.300 B
36 - Alabama 6.60% ------ Budget Deficit 0.586 B
37 - Wyoming 6.37% ------ Budget Deficit 0.147 B
38 - Washington DC 6.27% ------ Budget Deficit 0.104 B
39 - Ohio 6.26% ------ Budget Deficit 3.00 B
40 - Iowa 6.22% ------ Budget Deficit 1.100 B
41 - Utah 5.89% ------ Budget Deficit 0.700 B
42 - North Carolina 5.81% ------ Budget Deficit 5.800 B
43 - Kansas 5.22% ------ Budget Deficit 0.510 B
44 - Arizona 5.00% ------ Budget Deficit 3.100 B
45 - Arkansas 4.5% ------ Budget Deficit 0.000 B46 - Nebraska 4.43% ------ Budget Deficit 0.329 B
47 - Minnesota 4.40% ------ Budget Deficit 4.000 B
48 - Georgia 4.01% ------ Budget Deficit 4.200 B
49 - Texas 3.69% ------ Budget Deficit 4.600 B
50 - Nevada 3.58% ------ Budget Deficit 1.800 B
51 - Tennessee 1.95% ------ Budget Deficit 1.000 B

Copy machines ??

Thanks to Pat in Texas for sending along this link. There is an advertisement for "left handed day" then the video begins.

That digital copier - did you know that it contains a hard drive? Did you know that on that hard drive is an image of all the documents that were made on that machine?

think about it !

Budget ! DEBT!!!

Hey all, the Town finally finished the budget - ugh 2.5% increase, rounding out our new year's budget at $97 million!  Mind you it is not a balanced budget.  Town Council will be applying a surplus of $2million to fund the budget.

Ahh you could say - what's the big deal?  It's a few dollars per capita.  In my opinion, I would have taken the surplus, apply it directly to capital improvements that have been delayed or invest the surplus in attracting more business (new tax payers) to town.  To fund a shortfall in the operating budget?  Shame on you Town Council!

At least the Library's budget will stay intact as it was originally submitted.  We will continue to have Saturdays open and Sundays in the fall/winter/spring .  The Lucy Robbins Welles Library will continue to deliver superior materials, programs and assistance to our residents.  I did a quick calcuation, just in the book circulation alone, the Library delivered over $8 million dollars of value to the town in just one year.

Other interesting information that came out from this budget season.  Newington's per capita debt for past construction projects is approximately $643/ person!  The state is averaging $2,139 per capita and the US Government isn't making getting older any easier.  It rings in at $13 Trillion by the time I finish typing this entry.  Per capita debt with a population at about 308 million folks, debt for the Fed's is approximately $42,000!!!  Mind you this is a moving target.  Just think that each new baby arriving today is saddled with just about $50K of debt.

Please pay attention to your government, Call your legislators, visit them at town meetings, let them know that this mounting debt must be controlled and raising taxes to fund poorly planned and unproductive spending is NOT the answer.

2 Cents makes a difference

YES !  Yippie!  Thank Goodness!  and Thanks to all the Friends and supporters that came out to support the Budget Process here in town.  This is how it works.  As pointed out in the local paper, more that 20 people spoke out against the Library cuts, and NOT ONE person spoke for the cuts.

At the special meeting of the Town Council, and unamiously, the Town Council voted to have the $28,722 put back into the budget!

That restoration of money to the Lucy Robbins Welles Library's budget means the library will be open on Saturdays during July & August 2010, and all regularly scheduled Sunday hours 2010-2011 are back in.

I was with clients that evening and finally got to turn on the local station to watch the meeting that was already in progress.  It was meant to be,  just as I switched it on - some two hours into it, the Town Council was adding the $$'s back into the budget.  About two hours later, I hopped into the car and drove down to the meeting at town hall.  Sometime by 11:15pm I was able to get up and thank the Town Council for their thoughtfulness and for recognizing the amazing resource that our Library is to our residents.

So once again - thank you to Everyone!

Library Budget and my 2 Cents!

About a month ago, our town began it's annual budget process.  The Town Manager gives his budget, then a public hearing, then the Town Council gives their budget, and a public hearing - then hocus pocus - we get a budget and a mill rate.

The first public hearing was on March 15, 2010.  The word got out in advance that the Library had to cut their budget by $28,000 and with a bit of give and take ended up with a proposal to close the library during the summer months on weekends and eliminate all Sundays during the year.  That is just wrong!

The Friends of the Lucy Robbins Welles Library went into action.  They met with patrons and residents for the few days before the hearing. On that night - over 50 individuals showed up, 18 spoke onbehalf of the Library. 

To see the public hearing - and your's truly at 14:45 on the time line, go to our public TV Station  -   http://www.nctv.org/ - look here - on the left column click on "OnLine Video" then scroll down to Archives and select the Newington Town Council Public Hearing March 15, 2010.

We may know in a day or two if the $$'s are restored!

One Month to Vote

I found this post card at SyracuseCulturalWorkers.com . Mr. Twain lived around the corner and was quite the character in the Hartford landscape.

Just the other day, the flags were flown at half mast as we lost another Connecticut solider in the middle east. The headlines in the paper condemned some politician for speaking up. Hundreds of people died in the earthquake / tsunami in Indonesia. In my post box was the first political mailer extolling the virtures why I should vote for this politician.

With all that has gone on, I got thinking. I'm proud to be an American. Having traveled to some three dozen countries, living here is still my first choice. I think Mr. Twain said it most eloquently "Patriotism is supporting your country all of the time, and your government when it deserves it."

One month from today is election day....... remember your voice is in your vote. Remember to go out an vote in your community!

You don't need to relocate Seattle to get the rain

If you are reading this and reside in CT, you know what I am talking about. We have a Flood Potential for today and the weekend! Happy 4th! The folks in Seattle are not getting the rain ? Seems we have done a flip/flop.

Did someone do something to Mother Nature lately? The amount of rain is just amazing - I mean like every day! The CT River is only this high in the spring with the snow melt. One of the reservoirs is at record height for this time of year. In CT we only expect to recieve about on average from 32 to 64 inches a year. We got some 8 inches last Friday and my 'ducky' measureing device outside needs to be emptied every day!

Heck I'm not all by myself on this one. Our elected officials have issued a report Rev 3/16/09 regarding what we will have to do to not only protect property, but to deal with the consequences with wastewater treatment; dams, flood plains, the roads, ----- Go Get 'em DEP!

Any way - my plants are not growing, the tomatoe plant is getting yellow and the herbs are not flourshing. Though my association must be saving $$s as the lawn is only mowed once every two weeks.

So I bring out my own Sunshine - go to the Library - stop by and pick up a Museum and Attraction pass and give yourself a stay-at-home-vacation! There is so much to do and you may just surprise yourself.

Anyway Happy 4th!

I Voted Today - Newington

It's amazing - you think we were having a major national election. Today was a vote on changing the Newington town charter.

First - a big thank you to the Charter Commission that worked for more than a year on the improvements to the Charter that is being voted upon today.

The possible hottest issue of this "change" in the charter is to bring the Town Budget to a referendum if and when the Town Council wishes to pass a budget inexcess of a 3% increase. This so hotly contested - the D's vs. R's and within parties themselves.

We have a local TV station, NCTV. So I expect this evening we should have news when the polls close.

As Town's folks we have recieved email, snail mail, robo phone solitations, and other calls to get the vote out. If you are a NO vote, an arguement stated was that since the people elect the Town Council, the people don't want to be bothered. Now that is a weak argurment (and dangerous) - around the wet noodle stage. Now I find that a bit insulting(not really) - though I know that I take an active roll in what goes on. I do know that elected officials DO NOT know what I am thinking! This revision will enable the Town's folks to have a bigger input in how and why our taxes keep going up.

Yet when we boil this down - it's a change - and too many people don't like change especially in areas they may lack sufficient knowledge and would be required to reach out to learn more.

Stay tuned ..... no news yet on how the vote turned out.

$24.63 vs. $48.94 --------- 14 gallons???

Wow - I had to filler-up again. I so dislike the chore of pumping my own gas. I'd love to find a station that had an attendant that would pump my gas, clean the windshield, and check the oil. To reminisce for those days.

So - there I am, lucky for me I'm in an off hour to buy gas at the local station on the Pike. It's the best price around unless you are near MA- less tax there! So I'm holding the gas nozzel and it begins to flow into the tank. I'm looking around, sometimes I count to pass the time as the $$'s and gallons increase. To my surpise, the tank shuts off and I look at the $$'s and it is only $24.63 - for a moment I'm confused. What is wrong, did I hold the nozzel in an off angle so it shuts off? Did the station run out of gas? Nope to both of them. Now, mind you it was $48.94 this past summer for the same tank of gas.

My accountant brain begins to compute..... based on gross profit, geez, where are they/we buying this oil from? Is it on sale? Who's funding the difference between the two prices? I don't know but I'm seeing really funny accounting going on!