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Right now the wind is howling outside my door and it is snowing to beat the band, yet I know that my road will not be plowed, which not only effects my ability to go out and spend but also effects the ability of emergency vehicles to respond to accidents, as well as leads to more accidents.

There are fewer police on the roads and in our cities at a time when crime rates are rising. Cause and effect?

Kicking people off medicare and medicaide will lead to more premature deaths from neglect and or the ability to pay, that or will lead to still higher insurance premiums as hospitals pass their costs onto those that can afford them.

And, to look at the larger picture, this country is now almost 9 trillion dollars in debt. We pay over 120 billion dollars a year in interest to countries like China, who are then using our tax dollars to bolster their own economies. True patriots, those who continue to espouse increased debt over fiscal responsibility…NOT!!

It’s interesting to note as well that as we have gone deeper into debt as a state and a nation that our overall fiscal health has plummeted, and that, after WW2, when all those vets came back home and went to college on the GI Bill, that we made the greatest technological in the history of mankind. Your tax cuts have ended all that, ended our technological edge, ended the open access to education that so many enjoyed, plunged hundreds of thousands of students into debt that they cannot afford, removing that money that they would normally spend on themselves from the economy.

Conservatives have turned this country into a nation where everyone looks out for themselves, and no one looks to the good of the country. Bravo.

One final comment:

If you look around, you will find a copy of a report, put out by Congress, that purports to show the adverse impact taxes have on the economy. (I can’t remember the name, but it was put out in 1999 or so).

If you take the two graphs in that report and overlay them, you will see that, with the exception of WW2, there is absolutely no correlation between taxes and GNP.

Greed, shortsighted fiscal policies, and a complete and total disregard for the good of the United States of America are the halmark of Conservatives and are reflected in their drive to constantly cut taxes. But I gotta hand it to you, so long as the good of the USA is not what you are aiming for, tax cuts are good party politics. appealing to the lowest attributes of human behavior usually works. At least, until the damage becomes evident.

YOU WILL HAVE TO KILL ME ! GOD SAVE THE SAVED!
NAZIS In ISRAEL Beating up Israeli’s! Will You Please Lesion !
Is Hillary ,(HELLERY) ? MA-BUSH ? We Know a Nuff about her and the tree heads Bill, G.W.Jr. Sr and then HELLERY.
I know I am a sinner , But I did not set-up Bush to take Control over this UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THE #1 IN PAY,WORK,TECH,THE Best MILLITARY,THE BEST THINKERS, THE BEST and RICHES in the WORLD!
LET ME SEND YOUR JOB OVER THERE AND THEN MAKE THEM THINK THAY ARE #1 AND THEN TACK IT AWAY AND SEND IT TO ATHERS PLACE TO MAKE THEM THINK THERE #1 and Destroy every thing you Touch.
“Pure religion … is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” 1:27
The rich should not be treated better than the poor. 2:2-4
“Love thy neighbor as thyself.” 2:8
Help others that are in need; don’t just wish them well. This is good advice, though it’s unfortunate that James restricted this help to “brothers”. Did he mean by this that you only need to help fellow believers? 2:15-16
James ridicules those who say salvation is by faith alone. He says the “Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” 1:19
devils believe in God. Will their faith save them? 2:19
“Speak not evil of one another.” 4:11
Don’t judge other people. 4:12
“Ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” (All we are is dust in the wind.) 4:14
Workers should be treated fairly. 5:4
1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

“Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

James 1

1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
“If any of you lack wisdom … ask of God … and it shall be given him.”
This is the verse that set the 14-year-old Joseph Smith off to found the Mormon Church. That is just an example of the type of wisdom God can give you.

1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

1:9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

1:10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

1:11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”
Can God be tempted?
Has God ever tempted anyone?

1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
“Sin … bringeth forth death.”
Does hell exist?

1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
“The Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”
Does God repent?
BOM: Mormon 9:9, Alma 7:20

1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

“Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

“Pure religion … is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
If this is “pure religion” then I am all for it.

——————————————————————————–

James 2

2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2:2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
(2:2-4)
The rich should not be treated better than the poor.

2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
“Love thy neighbour as thyself.”
How should nonbelievers be treated?

2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
If you “keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point,” you are “guilty of all.”

2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

“For he shall have judgment without mercy.”
If you are merciless to others, God will be merciless to you. (Two wrongs make a right.)

2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
(2:14, 17, 20, 24-26)
“Can faith save him?”
Is Salvation by faith alone?

2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
(2:15-16)
Help others that are in need; don’t just wish them well. This is good advice, though it’s unfortunate that James restricted this help to “brothers”. Did he mean by this that you only need to help fellow believers?

2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
“Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
What must you do to be saved?

2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
“The devils also believe.”
James ridicules those who say salvation is by faith alone. He says the devils believe in God. Will their faith save them?
Are those who believe Jesus is the Christ of God?

2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

“Was not Abraham our father justified by works?”
James says Abraham was justified by works (for being willing to kill his son for God); Paul (Rom.4:2-3) says he was justified by faith (for believing that God would order him to do such an evil act).
Was Abraham justified by faith or by works?

2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

“Was not Rahab the harlot justified by works?”
(By By her works as a prostitute or by lying?)
Was Rahab saved by faith or works?
Is it wrong to lie?

2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James 2

2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2:2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
(2:2-4)
The rich should not be treated better than the poor.

2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
“Love thy neighbour as thyself.”
How should nonbelievers be treated?

2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
If you “keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point,” you are “guilty of all.”

2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

“For he shall have judgment without mercy.”
If you are merciless to others, God will be merciless to you. (Two wrongs make a right.)

2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
(2:14, 17, 20, 24-26)
“Can faith save him?”
Is Salvation by faith alone?
2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

(2:15-16)
Help others that are in need; don’t just wish them well. This is good advice, though it’s unfortunate that James restricted this help to “brothers”. Did he mean by this that you only need to help fellow believers?
2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
“Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
What must you do to be saved?

2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
“The devils also believe.”
James ridicules those who say salvation is by faith alone. He says the devils believe in God. Will their faith save them?
Are those who believe Jesus is the Christ of God?

2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

“Was not Abraham our father justified by works?”
James says Abraham was justified by works (for being willing to kill his son for God); Paul (Rom.4:2-3) says he was justified by faith (for believing that God would order him to do such an evil act).
Was Abraham justified by faith or by works?

2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

“Was not Rahab the harlot justified by works?”
(By By her works as a prostitute or by lying?)
Was Rahab saved by faith or works?
Is it wrong to lie?

2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Genesis 9:11

And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

Exodus 9:11

And the magicians could not stand before Moses becouse of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

Leviticus 9:11

And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp.

Numbers 9:11

The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

Deuteronomy 9:11

And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the Lord gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.

JOSHUA 9:11

Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journy, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants; therefore now make ye a league with us.

Judges 9:11

But the fig tree said unto them,Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Ruth 4:11

And all the elders, sai, We are in thegate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel; and do thou worthily in Eph’ra-tah. and be famous in Beth-lehem:

Samuel 9:11

And as they whnt up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, is the seer here?

II Samuel 9:11

Then said ZI’ba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Me-phib’o-sheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons.

Kings 9:11

And they shall answer, Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil.

II Kings 9:11

Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his Lord: and one said unto him. is all well? Wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and his communication.

Chronicles 9:11

And Az-a-ri’ah the son of HIl-ki-ah.the son of Me-shui’lam, the son ofZa’dok, the son of Me-ra’ioth,the son of A-hi’tub, the ruler of the houseof God:

II Chronicles 9:11

And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of theLord, and to the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for singers; and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.

Ezra 9:11

Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, the land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filyhiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it fromone end to another with their uncleanness.

Nehemiah 9:11

And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutots thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.

Esther 9:11

On that day the number of those that were slain in Shu’shan the palace was brought befor the king.

Job 9:11

Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not; he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

psalms 9:11

Sing praisses to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.

Proverbs 9:11

For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall beincreased.

Ecclesiastes 9:11

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, northe battle to the strong, neither yet
Bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all. ( read 9:12)

Solomon 8:11

Sol’o-mon had a vineyard at Ba’alha’mon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.(read on it is what is 12,13,14.

Isaiah 9:11

Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Re’zin against him,and join his enemies together.

Jereminh 9:11

LOOK UP THE REST YOUR SELF! IT IS IN YOUR HOLY BIBLE (King James Version)

If I take a walk over to GRCC’s economics department, I might also learn a thing or two about the economic effects of increased government spending (especially given that virtually all economic development in the private sector is heavily subsidized by government).

I’m on board with some of Bastiat’s theory, but many of the arguments he would make for deregulation have not proven true over the past few decades in which such policy has not resulted in increased competition, lower prices, and better service for customers (quite the opposite in fact).

Plunking down the SAME amount of money amounts to a cut because the demand/costs has/have dramatically increased. This is the same shell game the Bush administration is playing with the VA system; they’ve increased funding to the VA - but not nearly enough to keep pace with the new demand for its services (courtesy of the two wars we’re currently fighting), so it amounts to a de facto cut.

Funding to Michigan’s infrastructure was cut under the previous administration (along with many other things) - and now it’s time to pay the piper.

In addition to all that - the situation would be more dire, but we’ve been dipping into one-time funds (basically our savings in the form of the general fund surpluses, tobacco settlement money, employee wage concessions, temporary federal aid, the Medicaid benefits trust fund, etc.) to balance the budget.

Further - your analysis doesn’t appear to include the School Aid Fund, which is larger than the General Fund - and which has had hundreds of millions of dollars cut out of it. That’s probably one of the other areas the Granholm administration is referring to when it touts its $3 billion in cuts since taking office.

$150 tax increase per person? Maybe if everyone sent balloon-o-grams to every relative for every holiday. Not in practicality.

Even with the $1.7 billion “deficit” they just “solved” that included hundreds of millions in NEW SPENDING.

These $400 million in cuts they’re talking about now… they’re cuts to the rate of increase in spending.

Only in Lansing.

Well, and DC.

–Nick
http://www.RightMichigan.com

I’m no mathematician (or economist either, apparently) but don’t the tax increases total about $50/person per year for the average resident?

Also - aren’t there still $440 million worth of cuts yet to be made as part of this budget agreement?

Given how much has been cut from the budget since Granholm took office, and how much tax revenues have declined, call me crazy but isn’t it completely ridiculous to say that spending has increased at all; let alone by 18%?

Michigan’s revenues have declined since 2000 from $9.8 bil. (2000) to $8.3 bil. (2006). That’s, what, 15%? If you adjust for inflation, the revenue to Michigan’s general fund is down as much as 40% from 1999.

If you go further back to the 1990s, business tax rates were already down 15% from then, and personal income tax rates were down 20% - so if anything - the state is rolling back those tax cuts and returning taxation to 1990s levels.

By the way - two other states (Wisconsin and Rhode Island) were in the red last year just like Michigan. Moreover, many other states were hit by the recent recession - the only difference is that they had more diverse economies so they got through the recession faster.

Recalling a politician for not voting the way you want them to on one issue is utterly asinine; and given that these recall efforts involve paying a bunch of hacks per signature to stand in front of malls and grocery stores - it’s antidemocratic as well.

I’m curious - do you have an Orwellian name picked out for your recall effort yet? May I suggest the “Stop Kicking Michigan Puppies and Kittens Coalition”? - I don’t think anyone is using that one yet.