Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

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Illinois Madness Never Stops; House Committee Wants Taxpayers to Spend $100 Million on Barack Obama Library Posted: 19 Apr 2014 12:27 PM PDT Illinois is broke. Its public pension plans are the most troubled in the nation. Illinois passed massive "temporary" tax hikes to fix the pension problem, but that did not make a dent in  the problem. Nonetheless, ideas to waste more taxpayer money are always on the table. Here's a recent example. $100 Million for Barack Obama Library Today, the Illinois Policy Institute reports by email ... An Illinois House Committee wants taxpayers to pay $100 million for a Barack Obama library. Somehow, House Speaker Michael Madigan thinks this is an appropriate use of funds despite the state's more than $100 billion pension crisis and $6.6 billion in unpaid bills. In accepting hefty taxpayer dollars for this venture, President Barack Obama is setting himself apart from his recent predecessors, former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Clinton's library, located in Little Rock, Ark., was funded solely through private donations, according to the Clinton Foundation. Clinton's "$165 million facility was built entirely through private funds. It's just a fact," said Jordan Johnson, a spokeswoman for the Clinton Foundation. Likewise, Bush's library, located at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, was also funded through private donations. The Barack Obama Foundation, tasked with planning the development of Obama's presidential library, has yet to determine the site of the future library. In fact, the foundation's board of directors is receiving proposals through June 16 and does not intend to announce its final decision until 2015. The Illinois House Committee's $100 million proposal will now go to the full House. On its website, the Barack Obama Foundation defines its mission as developing a presidential library that "reflects President Obama's values and priorities throughout his career in public service." Interestingly enough, the first value listed is "expanding economic opportunity." But more than 600,000 Illinoisans woke up today and didn't have a job to go to, and thousands more face underemployment. To them and many others, it's clear the president has fallen short on accomplishing his goal of "expanding economic opportunity" to the Land of Lincoln, where he launched his political career as a state senator 18 years ago. Obama's staff expects the library to cost $500 million or more. And the costs won't stop there. The day-to-day operations and maintenance of the United States' 13 presidential libraries cost taxpayers $75 million in fiscal year 2013 alone. This figure strikes an interesting contrast. Illinois politicians, who are demanding that we extend the 2011 tax hike so that "draconian" spending cuts in public and human services do not go into effect – are attempting to subsidize a monument in dedication to the legacy of the most prolific fundraiser in history – on the backs of poor and middle-class families in Illinois. Jane McEnaney Manager of Government Affairs Illinois Madness Never Stops In March, House Speaker Michael Madigan proposed 3% surcharge on income over $1 million Also this year, progressives argued for a blank check proposal for more tax hikes. For details, please see Picking-Your-Pocket Numbers: How Much More Will You Pay? Now the legislature wants to waste $100 million for a Barack Obama Library. In Illinois, the madness never stops. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

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Seth's Blog : Saying 'thank you' in public, three times

 

Saying 'thank you' in public, three times

Earlier this year, I launched two ongoing classes on Skillshare:

One is on the thinking necessary to invent and launch a new business

and the other is for marketers of all kinds.

I'm grateful to everyone who has posted a kind review, launched a useful new project or shared the course so far...

But mostly, I want to thank the people at Skillshare: the software does exactly what they promised, and they're kind and a delight to work with.

Yesterday, Typepad was assaulted by a DDOS attack that brought the service to its knees. The team there really rose to the occasion, communicated clearly and honestly and got this blog up and running quickly. I've had this blog hosted by them for a decade or so, and despite the cool kids telling me I have to move it, I like the fact that the software does just what they say and that they're kind and a delight to work with.

And finally, did you know that you can subscribe to this blog, for free, by email and RSS? The email is handled daily and flawlessly by Feedblitz. It does what it's supposed to, and Phil is kind and a pleasure to work with.

Sometimes, the biggest, flashiest, most annoying services aren't the best way to build something that works. I'm grateful to these organizations and those like them that show up regularly and make things work. Thanks.

       

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More Recent Articles

• They're your words, choose them
• All the same
• The bottomless pit of pleasing strangers
• The thing that happened before this
• Connecting dots (or collecting dots)

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Easter and Passover Greetings

Here's what's going on at the White House today.         DAILY SNAPSHOT Saturday, April 19, 2014         Featured Weekly Address: President Obama Offers Easter and Passover Greetings In this week's address, the President offers his warmest greetings as millions of Americans celebrate Easter this Sunday and recounts the Passover Seder he hosted at the White House earlier this week, joining Jewish families around the world in their celebration. The President looks forward to taking part with his family in the hope and joy of the Easter season and reminds all Americans, no matter their faith, of the common thread that binds us. Click here to watch this week's Weekly Address.       Weekly Wrap Up A Moment of Silence for Boston On Tuesday, the President, along with some of his senior advisers, observed a moment of silence to mark the one-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing. READ MORE Soldier Ride Through the White House On Wednesday, the President, Vice President, and the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs greeted the servicemen and women participating in the Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride. Before cheering on the Warriors, who will travel 58 miles from Washington, DC to Friendship, MD over four days, the President told the group and the crowd filled with members of the military and their families, "you inspire me with your courage, your resolve, your resilience, your tenacity, your optimism. It makes me proud to be your Commander-in-Chief.” READ MORE 8 Million Americans President Obama dropped by the White House Briefing Room yesterday to make a big announcement about the Affordable Care Act. 8 million Americans have signed up for private health insurance through the Marketplace. Yup, 8,000,000. And the ACA has helped millions more get covered: 3 million young adults gained coverage by being able to stay on their parents' plans, 3 million more people enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, and 5 million people enrolled in plans outside the Marketplace. All in all, that's more than 19 million people getting covered -- not too shabby. READ MORE The @VP, on Instagram Instagram just got better: The Office of the Vice President just joined the social network. READ MORE As always, to see even more of this week's events, watch this week's episode of West Wing Week: WATCH NOW   Facebook    Twitter   |   More Ways to Engage Did Someone Forward This to You? Sign Up for Email Updates This email was sent to e0nstar1.blog@gmail.com Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy Please do not reply to this email. Contact the White House We're updating the White House privacy policy on April 18. Learn more. The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111

 

Seth's Blog : They're your words, choose them

 

They're your words, choose them

You've seen the signs:

ABSOLUTELY NO CREDIT CARDS.

NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST OR STOLEN ITEMS.

BATHROOMS FOR PATRONS ONLY.

Guess what? There's no legal requirement that signs have to make you sound like a harsh jerk in order to carry weight or to inform the public.

To keep our prices as low as possible, we only accept cash. The good news is that there's an ATM next door.

Careful! We'd like to watch your stuff for you, but we're busy making coffee.

Our spotlessly clean restrooms are for our beloved customers only, so come on in and buy something! Also, there's a public bathroom in the library down the street.

In fact, you might find that when you speak clearly and with respect, you not only communicate more effectively, but people are less likely to blame you when something goes wrong.

       

• Email to a friend •

 

More Recent Articles

• All the same
• The bottomless pit of pleasing strangers
• The thing that happened before this
• Connecting dots (or collecting dots)
• Trust and attention, the endless dance

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