New Look to the Site

My Blog is under construction...please be patient as I am trying to improve the look of the site. I will be back to posting soon, so thanks for your patience.

New Posts Coming Soon

Hi folks! It's been a busy year, with no time to write. I hope to be back to blogging soon. I have some topics I need to write about, along with some changes to the site. See you soon!

Wins and Losses

Well, we made it through another Election Day, this time without wondering whether the vote would be close like in 2000. It was anything but that. Obama's landslide victory surprises even me. I know a lot of people are concerned whether he will do well or not. I think he will. It will take time, but we will find out. If not, then we'll look for another President. At least he can't be worse than Bush :)

I would like to thank John McCain for his effort, and for his service to the country. He has served his country honorably, in both peace and war. Here's a suggestion: If Obama wants to truly create a bipartisan cabinet, why not select John McCain for Secretary of Defense? His military experience alone qualifies him in my book. I have a lot of respect for John McCain, I just don't like his party. He would be a tough cookie in that position.

Congrats to Baron Hill for his win over Mike Sodrel. Baron ran a good campaign against a tough opponent. Baron's win means that we still have a voice in the House, a voice that will work for us, not for a party. Again, congratulations Baron.

On the loss side, I was terribly disheartened to hear that Jill Long Thompson lost to Daniels. That is really a shame. Jill did not have enough money to push back against Daniels' massive sign blitz and television ads. She would have made a good Governor. Now we face four more years of watching our state get sold off piece by piece. In a few months, those that believed his ads will wake up to realize they made a mistake, once he starts back in on his privatization kick. Just wait and see. The only good thing is that the Democrats control the Statehouse. This will help to keep Daniels in check, and stop him from running roughshod over the state. Maybe someone in the Statehouse can get enough support to push a measure to end DST, or at least a referendum. It will have to have a lot of support in order to override any possible veto by Daniels. I can only hope.

Low Blows and Slick Tricks from the GOP Slime Machine

Just when you thought that the GOP couldn't dig any lower in the slime pit, here's the latest examples. For the first example, the Washington Post, in their campaign diary, The Trail, reports that when Obama's Grandmother was dying, Obama made a trip to Hawaii (on October 24th) to visit her. According to the article, the California GOP filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission about the Obama Campaign using campaign funds to make the trip. Here is the complaint:

"Obama for America violated federal law by converting its campaign funds to Senator Obama's personal use," the release stated. "Senator Obama recently traveled to Hawaii to visit his sick grandmother. This was the right thing for any grandson to do -- at his own expense -- but it was not travel that his campaign may fund."

According to the article,

At issue was whether the trip should have been paid for with campaign funds, based on the law that forbids candidates from using such funds to pay for personal travel. The Obama campaign said the trip had been vetted with lawyers beforehand and was allowable. The Republicans argued that, because Obama did not campaign during the quick journey to Hawaii, it should not have been a campaign expense.

The Republicans released the statement about 1:30 pm on Monday. Obama's Grandmother died the same day. Talk about bad timing...releasing a statement condemning someone visiting his dying Grandmother on the day that she dies. That's low. Ok, maybe there might be an issue about what funds were used. If so, Obama can pay them back. The real issue here is a heartless, desperate GOP that continues to find new ways to stoop lower and lower into the muck. If the shoe had been on the other foot, I'm sure the GOP would have said it was ok, and would have thrown a fit if anyone says anything. As far as not campaigning while he was there, well, if he had, they would have twisted that, too.

Here's another one. Here in Indiana, two Republican poll workers were removed for challenging voters improperly. According to another article in The Trail, the workers challenged "voters on the basis of their party affiliation". Read on:

Voters in the battleground state can be challenged on the validity of their address, age or if they lack an ID, but not based on their party affiliation. The two poll workers -- a Republican vote challenger and a clerk -- forced at least three voters to file provisional ballots, said Angie Nussmeyer, spokeswoman for the Marion County Election Board.

The county's bipartisan elections board voted unanimously to remove the two. The Marion County Republican Party reacted with a statement this afternoon saying it was unaware of the improper challenges and had not instructed party workers to do so. "We wish to see all qualified voters vote and find it reprehensible to ever deter a proper voter from voting," read the statement.

Um, yeah, sure they didn't know...yeah, right. Just another GOP tactic to keep people from voting, and keep themselves in power. At least they were stopped before they did much damage.

There have been countless reports across the country about tactics such as these and worse in the last few days. Maybe by people hearing about it, people will be prepared if they are challenged.

If you still are able to vote, and are challenged, call your local election board, call the media, whatever it takes. If you are told that you can't vote because of parking tickets or voting for Democrats is tomorrow, don't believe it because it is a lie. You can't be stopped from voting or arrested for parking tickets, and the only day for elections is today. You have a right to vote. Don't let them stop you.

Time To Vote!

Well, we've finally made it to Election Day. This has been the longest and most arduous campaign I've ever seen. I'm not going to get into any history about this campaign, because you probably already know about most of it. What is important here is that no matter who you support, get out and vote. We in Indiana only have two hours left, but the rest of the nation will not stop until late tonight. The media networks, thankfully, have put a moratorium on releasing any information about the election until after 5 pm EST. Personally, I wish that they would wait until after the last poll closes in Alaska at 1 am, but that is probably not going to happen. Hopefully, if you are on the West Coast and reading this, you have already voted, or are preparing to vote. Don't let the media outlets sway you with projections, or give up because you think you may have lost. Get out and vote, and make your voice heard.

The Coattail Effect

Doing a little late-night blogging, and found something interesting in the Indianapolis Star . The Star is a Republican newspaper, so they will do anything they can to help their side. Latest article is about ticket splitting, telling how that many will vote for a Democrat for President, and a Republican for Governor (got to back their great Mitch!). Anyway, buried in this is this quote:

Among voters supporting Obama, 28 percent also are backing Daniels for governor. Among those voting for McCain, 13 percent are supporting Long Thompson for governor.

Hmm, that means that if Obama takes a large chunk of the vote, 72% of those voters will vote for Jill Long Thompson. If McCain takes a majority, then 87% will vote for Daniels. The way things are looking right now for Obama, he could take this state, and bring Jill Long Thompson in with him, thus the coattail effect of riding to victory due to someone elses good political fortune and popularity (not that it's a bad thing). That is not good news for Daniels, because a Democratic wave could sweep him out of office.

Let's hope for a Democratic tsunami on Election Day! Get out there and vote Democrat, and let the waves sweep the Repubs out of office!

DST - Just In Case You Forgot

Well, we're back on Eastern Standard Time again. Just in case you forgot, DST ended at 2:00 am this morning. If you forgot, and are late for church, or just aggravated at having to switch times, just remember who caused all this...our wonderful Governor, Mitch Daniels. Just in case you forgot about it, remember that he didn't ask us if we wanted it, he rammed it down our throats, and the vote passed by one vote. I don't call that a mandate. In case you are upset about it, just keep that in mind for Tuesday, when you can VOTE HIM OUT, and vote in a Governor who will let the people decide whether to continue this mess. Jill Long Thompson will call for a statewide referendum on the issue, and let US decide whether to continue with DST or end the mess once and for all. Jill will give the people a voice in government, one that has been silenced for the last four years under Daniels.

Over the last four years, I have watched this Governor slowly sap the life out of this state. First by de-certifying the teachers union, then closing license branches, forcing DST on us, selling off the Indiana Toll Road, and on and on. His signs say he has courage and vision...baloney! His tactics are not courageous or visionary...they are from the viewpoint of a corporate CEO who views this state like his company. I for one am tired of watching my state slowly die under him. It is time for a change, and not a minute too soon.

I urge you, when you go into the booth on Tuesday, to think about what happened over the last four years. Remember the issues, remember the problems. Ask yourself if you want four more years of this. If you don't, vote for Jill Long Thompson for Governor. She will give us our voice back in government.

Nervousness in the Republican Camp

With just 3 weeks to go till the election, Repubs are starting to get nervous about McCain's chances at winning the Presidency. Check out the article here. Looks like the Dems might actually have a chance to win this thing. Enjoy!

Tight Race for Governor - Jill is Gaining!

Hi folks! Doing a little late night blogging, and thought I'd pass some info on the race for Indiana Governor. The race is tightening up! According to a poll from WISH-TV 8 in Indianapolis, Daniels is leading only by a very slim margin, 49% to 45%, and his approval rating is even closer to Jill Long Thompson, 49% to 45%. This is very tight, considering Daniels had a wide lead at one time, and just a few weeks ago, was up 49% to 41%. Daniels paints a rosy picture, but in reality, he is in trouble. Check out his approval rating here...very low indeed.

Jill is gaining on Daniels, and fast. Read this article from WISH-TV 8 on how the race is tightening. At the pace she's going, and the way the economy is causing trouble for the repubs, Jill will be our next Governor, and not a moment too soon. Just remember, if your on the fence, remember some of the things Daniels has done:

1. De-certified the Teacher's Union as his first official act in office.
2. Brought us the DST mess.
3. Closed license branches all over the state.
4. Sold off the Indiana Toll Road to an Australian consortium.
5. When asked about what he considered to be a good wage, he replied that "$9 or $10 an hour is a good wage. Pretty good considering he is a multimillionaire. I'd like to see him live on that.
6. Privatization of welfare and a host of other formerly state-run departments.

I could list more, but you get the point. Daniels has been a disaster for this state. Just ask anyone who has been thrown out of work because of his cuts. This must stop! Daniels cannot be allowed to have another 4 years to further ruin this great state.

I urge you to support Jill Long Thompson for Governor. She will work to rebuild this state, and undo the damage that Daniels has done. It will take time, but Jill will get the job done. Vote for Jill on November 4th!

DST

One of the issues that will come up with a new governor will be Daylight Savings Time. This has caused much controversy over the years. Here is a history of time in Indiana, that will give you some idea how controversial it is. Personally, I think we should go back to the old way. DST doesn't save any money - it actually costs more. Read this article from U.S. News about the increase in energy consumption.

I asked Jill Long Thompson's office about their stand on the issue. This is their statement:

Thank you for your email. As Governor, Jill will call for a nonbinding referendum that would let the public have more input into this issue. The referendum would address both time zones and Daylight Savings Time. With input from Hoosiers across the state, she believes a better policy for everyone can be implemented.

I think that is a good idea. The governor should listen to the public on this issue, unlike what Daniels did. He asked no one but his own party, then rammed it down our throats. I personally would like to see it banned immediately, but if it takes a referendum, so be it. I have had enough people tell me how much they hate DST, that I think it would be overwhelmingly in favor of repeal.

If you want to have a chance to repeal DST, please support Jill Long Thompson. She will give the people their voice in state government back.

Time for a new Governor - Daniels Must Go!

I've been pretty busy this summer, and have kept quiet about the elections, at least on here. However, I heard something today that really surprised and shocked me. I heard Daniels was up by 17 points in the polls. Now, honestly, I don't know how he found that many people to support him, unless they polled his campaign. The last time I saw the numbers, he had a 37% approval rating. Somehow, he has managed to pull ahead in the polls. This is very disturbing. Let me remind you of some of the things this clown did (not in any particular order):

!. Sold off the Indiana Toll Road.
2. Closed license branches across the state.
3. Shoved DST down our throats.
4. De-certified the teacher's union (that was the first thing he did)
5. Privatized welfare, and anything else he could sell off.
6. Lied through his teeth about the state being in the red..the state constitution forbids that, and no, we weren't.
7. Made the comment that "$9 - $10 hr is good money". Quite a comment from someone who is a multimillionaire. I don't know about you, but I can't live on that anymore.

There are more things, but I don't have the time to go into more. I think you get the point. Daniels must go. He is the worst Governor since Governor Morton...that's another story. I am fully supporting Jill Long Thompson for Governor, and encourage everyone who reads this to do the same. Just think back to the mess we've had here, and think whether you want another 4 years of this clown. Personally, not me. Send him back to Washington, or wherever he came from.

No Time to Panic

Hi, folks. It's been a busy summer here. Not much time for blogging. Recent events, however, warrant a post. The crisis on Wall Street is one of them. I'm sure you have all read the news and heard about how jittery the market is. I don't think I need to explain that. What I do want to do is to give you some reassurance. Now, granted, we know that the reason for this happening is because many of these firms investing in things that were not good ideas in the first place, like insuring against bond defaults. Along with that, the current administration has done little to discourage practices such as these. Throw in the fact that oil is still running high, consumers don't have enough money to spend, businesses lose because no one is spending money...oh, wait, I think I had a topic about that before...anyway, no, it is not a good situation, and blame can be placed in many places, but that can come later.

The worst thing one could do right now is panic. Keep your money in the bank. Banks depend on cash assets from individuals. If people were to start pulling money out, that would cause a run...one leads to two, and so on. Give the market time to straighten itself out. After all, it took 8 years of the Bush administration to ruin it, and it will not be fixed overnight. Let cooler heads prevail. We will get through this.

The Indiana Primary - Time to make a choice

Well, looks like the primary is almost here. We've spent months listening to pundits and pollsters, and now, for the first time in years, our primary can make a difference. Although I still think the choices aren't great, we still have to make a choice. I am leaning towards Obama, because I don't think Hillary can beat McCain. McCain seems like a decent guy, but it's the baggage that he would bring with him that worries me (read the current Repub establishment that caused this mess in the first place...those people have resumes stretching all the way back to Nixon). We have to get them out of power before anything will change, including the price of gas.

As far as the Governors race, I favor Jill Long Thompson. I think she can do a good job, and should have no problem beating Daniels in the fall (for that matter, I don't think it will take much, considering that he's made most of the state mad at him). You know you're in trouble when your first ad is full of apologies for mistakes made, but, oh yeah, we'll do better next time...yeah, right!

If you want to make a change, get out and vote tomorrow. Let your voice be heard.

"Gas Shortage" Exposed

Here's an interesting article about the so-called "gas shortage". Titled "There Is No Gas Shortage", and written by Ed Wallace for an article in "Business Week", it is a good expose' of what the current administration is doing to prolong the ever-increasing cost of oil. As Wallace asks in the article,

Why is Washington doing everything it can to convince us there is a shortage when there isn't one? After all, the only people they're protecting are those heavily invested in oil futures—and that's to the detriment of all other Americans.

Just what I've been saying all along, that this whole thing is made up by this administration, and driven by speculators. It's about time someone exposed this for the lie that it is. Thank you Mr. Wallace! Read the article here.

Muddied Waters

Hi, folks! Primary time is nearing, and the race is getting more heated by the day. I don't think I've ever seen a time when the choices were so difficult. All the candidates have some good qualities, but also have enough bad qualities to make me stop and think about who I would want. Obviously, voting for McCain just doesn't seem like a good idea. McCain by himself would probably be ok, but with all the other baggage that would come with him (read the current Repub establishment that got us in this mess to start with, and have been lurking around Washington since Nixon), I just can't see that as a good idea. Obama keeps talking about change, but doesn't say what kind of change. I don't know enough about him to feel comfortable. Clinton has come out in support of groups that I cannot support, and ideas that I cannot condone.

As far as electability, many people would vote against Obama just because of the name (I'm not saying it's a bad name, just that some people feel it sounds too close to another infamous person). Clinton also has an electability problem with the name, because every right-wing extremist in the country will vote against her because of her husband. Her stance on certain groups will also hurt her with the conservative base in this country.

When will the Democratic Party wake up and realize that the way to gain the White House is not by electing liberals, but by reaching out to the conservative base in this country? There are far more of us than they realize, but our voices are not heard. We need a Truman or Kennedy...someone who is tough, and can take us back to the place that we once were, with higher moral standards, and compassion for the working man.

DST Returns

Hi, folks. It's been awhile since I posted. It's been a long and rough winter. Thanks to all who have visited the site in my absence. Got a subject for today that must be addressed.

Daylight Savings Time (DST). To many of you, it's a normal thing each spring and fall. To us in Indiana, it is a strange adjustment, as we have only been doing this for a few years. It is a major adjustment. Let me explain our situation.

Because of a bad experience with DST in the 1960's, Indiana went back to Eastern Standard Time in all but a few counties. That's what I grew up under. No time change. Folks knew where the sun would be at a certain time of year, such as in summer, the sun being down before 9:00 PM. Normal.

Fast forward to 2005. Our beloved (?) governor, Mitch Daniels, decided that he knew what was best for all of us. Daniels, against popular opinion, pushed to get a DST bill approved by the legislature. The vote was very close, and by Daniels and his bunch twisting arms, managed to get the law passed by one vote. This vote was by a man who had originally said he would vote against the bill. DST, against the will of the people, became law.

To a state that is used to doing things the old-fashioned way, DST is a nightmare. The summer days are longer, which means increased energy use from running air conditioning. Hmmm, increased energy use, increased cost, Repub in office...sound familiar?

Now we have evidence that DST does not work. According to the Lincoln, Nebraska, JournalStar, DST led to increased energy use. The study was done in Indiana, and compared electricity consumption before DST and after DST. There was also a control group made up of households from counties that had already been on DST. Read on:

Their finding: Having the entire state switch to daylight-saving time each year, rather than stay on standard time, costs Indiana households an additional $8.6 million in electricity bills. They conclude that the reduced cost of lighting in afternoons during daylight-saving time is more than offset by the higher air-conditioning costs on hot afternoons and increased heating costs on cool mornings.

“I’ve never had a paper with such a clear and unambiguous finding as this,” says Kotchen, who presented the paper at a National Bureau of Economic Research conference.

DST can also lead to increased risk of drowsy driving. According to an article in Yahoo Finance from the National Road Safety foundation, DST increased the risk of drowsy driving.

"The change throws off our internal clock, and it can take as long as two weeks for our bodies to adjust," says Adele Kristiansson, director of marketing and legislative affairs at the National Road Safety Foundation.

"Drowsiness is a condition most drivers fail to recognize, and it can be as dangerous as drinking and driving," she adds. "Studies show 60 percent of us have driven while feeling fatigued, and more than a third admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel in the past year. Drowsiness is a factor in a substantial number of traffic crashes."

There we have it, folks. The evidence is in. DST does not save energy, it only increases its use. At a time when people are struggling to make ends meet, we don't need an increase in energy usage.

DST is also very dangerous, and can cost lives. Two weeks to adjust to the change could mean the loss of a loved one. That should not happen.

DST must go. It doesn't save anything except votes and money for the politicians and their corporate buddies. They like to think this is New York. Well, it isn't. The new governor (and there will be a new one - Daniels doesn't have enough support from his own party, let alone the Democrats), must make this a high priority in the new administration.

Enough is enough. Put us back on Eastern Standard Time and leave it there. As we say here, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Fall in Southern Indiana

Fall is here again, and with it, harvest time.

Farmers have been working overtime to get the crops in before bad weather. Our neighbor worked into the night to get his corn in yesterday.
Most of the beans are in, as is the corn. There are still a few fields left to pick, due to the combination of late planting and a very dry season. I haven't seen a year this dry in a long time. If we hadn't had a wet winter and spring, the yields would be much worse that what the farmers are getting now. Fall also gives us the opportunity to watch the colors change. Here's a few pics to show you how beautiful it is here. We don't have full color here yet, and may not get the full color, due to the unusually dry summer.








As you can see, we have some beautiful country around here. The leaves are just starting to turn, but because of the dry weather, we still have a lot of green on the trees. Pretty unusual for October. Won't be long til winter...oh, and by the way, the wooly worm I found recently was black, brown and black...hope it's not right. I hope we don't make up for the lack of rain by having a bunch of snow and bad weather. Guess we'll find out soon enough.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Baron's Vote

There's been talk in the media about the recent vote made by Baron Hill on the SCHIP bill (the State Children's Health Insurance Program). According to the Seymour Tribune:

In Indiana, SCHIP helps pay for Hoosier Healthwise, which enrolls about 75,000 Indiana children from families earning up to twice the federal poverty level, a floating scale that’s $41,300 for a family of four. The bill vetoed by Bush would raise eligibility nationwide to four times the poverty level.

The bill would pay for the SCHIP expansion by raising the federal cigarette tax by 61 cents per pack to $1. That’s separate from the 44-cents-per-pack increase in Indiana’s cigarette tax to 99.5 cents per pack on July 1.

Baron's reason for voting against the bill was because he also represents tobacco farmers in this area. Baron said that the bill "...should not be financed entirely by tobacco." I believe he is right. Here's why:

1. Our district is, after all, a farming district, and the farmers have been forgotten in the past. Baron is a supporter of farming.
2. The way the bill is to be funded is the problem, not the bill itself. Baron saw that, and realizes that you have to have a better way to fund this kind of legislation. This is the great irony of this kind of legislation. Why should you have a good bill, which will help many children, fund it with money from sales of tobacco, and then turn around in the same breath and say, "We want everyone to quit smoking. It's bad for you, and should be stopped"? If everyone stopped smoking, where would the money come from?

It is ridiculous to fund a bill to help children, and then try to dry up the source. It seems like grandstanding to me by a bunch of politicians just looking to get elected. Voting on this bill put Baron in a bad spot. His political enemies will try to capitalize on this, even though their party is always the first to vote no on anything that will help children.

Baron would like to find a better way to fund this legislation than an unsure source. If it can be found, this would be a great help to children in need. I believe he was right to vote against it, and believe he will help find a better way to fund it.

Don't Blame the Little Guy

Hi, folks. Been awhile since I've posted, due to other priorities in life (busy summer). I've had some thoughts rolling around in my head for awhile, and thought that I'd better get them written down while I have some time.

There's been a lot of talk in the media lately about the credit crunch. The housing market balloon has exploded, and has caused major troubles in the market. Lenders have failed, mortgage foreclosures have skyrocketed, and people with adjustable rate mortgages are in big trouble. Many lenders have been forced to try to find a way to get bailed out, such as Countrywide. The latest one was a British lender, Northern Rock, who had to go to the Bank of England for emergency credit. This was the first British bank to be affected by the credit problems at home, and has caused stock markets in England and Europe to shudder from this buyout.

I've heard a lot on the news about what caused this credit crunch, and each time I hear an analysis, I hear these pundits blame the homeowners who have failed to make their mortgage payments. Fair enough. If you can't make your payments, the bank will foreclose on your house. I'm sure that's the main reason why this all happened, but isn't there another reason why these people cannot make their mortgage payments? Maybe it's time we examined the reasons why things have gotten so bad.

First off, the majority of the people who are having trouble making their mortgage payments had A.R.M's, or adjustable rate mortgages. Many of these people bought these homes with the adjustable rates, thinking they would save a lot of money, and banked on the rate staying low. They were then able to buy houses that would normally be out of their reach. In some areas, it is common to have homes that start at $200,000 and go up from there. Now, I'm no banker, and I don't pretend to know much about interest rates and such, but to me, (1), buying a $200,000+ home sounds like a mansion, and (2), buying it on an adjustable rate sounds insane (all apologies to those who have done this - I'm simply stating my opinion). Where I live, a house in that range would be more than most people would need. Areas north and south of here have homes in that range.

Builders and developers took advantage of the housing boom in the last decade, and shot the price of the homes skyward. In turn, banks had to find attractive ways to convince people that they could afford them...even if they really couldn't. Lenders came up with A.R.M's, to entice people to buy the home with low interest. This sounded good when the rate was low. However, rates don't always stay low. This the lenders failed to warn them about...all they wanted to do was make a sale. The economy gets shaky, rates go up, people start to struggle with payments. Pretty soon, people start to default because they can't make their payment. The ground gets shaky, and the rates keep going up. More people default. It's a cascading effect, and it's effects are being felt right now.

Why is the economy shaky? Why are people unable to make their payments? One reason that no one wants to talk about is the one thing that is damaging this economy and many others...the subject our President and his buddies don't want to hear about....yes, you guessed it, high gas prices. I know this subject is taboo with this administration...heaven forbid we blame their blessed Big Oil for the problems we're having. Well, I'm going to give you an analysis as to why high gas prices are to blame for our problems.

When people took out these A.R.M.'s over the last decade, gasoline was less than $1.50/gal. The economy was humming along pretty good, till 9/11. Gas started to climb after that. We dealt with the price, and were able to withstand the rise. People still had money in their pocket. Along comes Katrina and Rita, and suddenly the price skyrockets. Futures traders panicked over concerns of loss of supply, which sent the price skyward. Gas continued rising through 2006 and 2007, with no relief in sight. People who used to have money in their pocket to pay for that adjustable mortgage suddenly didn't have it anymore. It went into the gas tank. They have no money to buy other things, so business starts to slow at retailers. Food prices rise, because the cost of transportation has to be passed on. More money out of the pocket. A family that once was able to afford a very nice home, several cars, etc., now has to start watching every dime they make to live from week to week.

As things continue, and the family continues getting squeezed, they fail to make their payments on time. Maybe they live an hour from work, and have to spend most of it on gas to get there, or they have to spend a larger chunk on food and clothing. There's not enough money to go around. The interest rate begins to climb on the A.R.M., which only makes things worse. They are still forking out a lot of money on gasoline, which they have to have in order to drive to work, but now their check is going mostly for gasoline to get there. They find themselves in a vicious cycle: it's too expensive to drive to work, but they can't afford not to go, for they must still eat. The cycle continues until they can no longer keep up the payments. The house is foreclosed on, and a family is forced to live on the street. The lender can't sell the house, because no one has the money to buy. Others follow suit, and the lenders are suddenly faced with a crisis: a lot of homes standing empty, with no one to buy them. The lender can't make any money, so they go bankrupt. This, in turn, causes ripples in the stock market, which begins to falter. The economy slows, jobs are lost, etc. Get the picture?

Now, before you go saying, "Well, these people have poor credit. What else would you expect from people like that?", think of this: the banks were loaning money right and left to people who had poor credit, all the while promising them blue skies. What they didn't warn them about was the storm on the horizon. Many people who did these A.R.M.'s had good credit to start with, but they fell for the hype about "borrow $300,000 for 3.6% interest", and when things went sour, they fell in the hole.

Before you blame the little guy for causing this crisis, take a look at what the big guys did to cause it. You can't expect someone to be able to make extravagant payments when they are paying $3.00/gal. for gas, and their income is not rising. Because of the greed of lenders, builders, and the oil companies, America is facing a housing crisis unlike anything seen since the Depression. People are losing their homes at an alarming rate, and the price of gasoline just keeps rising. Many more will lose their homes before this crisis is over. The only way to solve this crisis is not to blame the little guy, but to fix the problems that the big guys caused. The little guy is getting squeezed, and if we continue to squeeze him, the dream of home ownership will remain just that...a dream.

Daniels Refuses to Suspend Gas Tax

Well, folks, with gas at an all-time high, you would hope that somebody in our government would do something to ease the pain. Unfortunately, it won't be Gov. Daniels (surprise, surprise). According to the Indianapolis Star, Daniels doesn't think it would be "an effective or responsible thing to do." Read the article:

Gov. Mitch Daniels says record prices at the pump have not changed his mind about suspending the state’s 6-cent sales tax on gasoline, but his administration is trying to determine whether he could do that even if he wanted to.

Mark Massa, Daniels’ general counsel, said today that his legal interpretation of a 1981 law that former Gov. Frank O’Bannon used to temporarily suspend the tax in 2000 would not allow Daniels to do the same.

But the administration is researching whether a threshold for declaring an “energy emergency” under that 1981 law is being met now, and it has asked the attorney general’s office for a legal opinion on whether a governor can suspend the gas sales tax under that law.

“We want to find out what the options are first,” said Daniels’ spokeswoman Jane Jankowski.

The steps follow the latest round of requests for the Republican governor to temporarily suspend the tax. Some lawmakers made the same request when prices spiked in summer 2005 and last summer.

The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Indiana hit a record $3.348 on Monday, according to AAA Hoosier Motor Club. Former U.S. Rep. Jill Long Thompson, who plans to announce her intentions to seek the Democratic nomination for governor this summer, issued a news release Monday asking Daniels to suspend the tax.

Indiana House Speaker Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, sent Daniels a letter Tuesday asking him to do the same.

“Once again, the state’s treasury is gaining from the pain faced by families in Indiana, thanks to the windfall from the sales tax that is being added on top of the exorbitant prices charged to motorists in our state,” Bauer wrote.

Daniels said Monday that he would “never say never” to the possibility of suspending the tax, which would save motorists about 16 cents per gallon if the price was $3.

But he said right now it would not be an effective or responsible thing to do, in part because he was still trying to restore the fiscal strength of state government and suspending the tax would be a step backward. He also said the tax relief would fall on the rich and poor alike, and he knows no way to target the relief to those who need it most.

O’Bannon suspended the tax in July 2000 when gasoline prices hit about $1.80 per gallon, which was considered expensive then. Republicans claimed it was an election-year ploy, but O’Bannon said it was needed to help working families and keep Indiana businesses competitive.

O’Bannon extended the initial 60-day suspension into September, then lifted it.

He relied on the 1981 state law that allows a governor to declare an energy emergency. That’s defined as an “existing or projected shortfall of at least 8 percent of motor fuel or other energy sources that threatens to seriously disrupt energy supplies or diminish energy supplies to the extent that life, health or property may be jeopardized.”

The law says if that threshold is met and an emergency declared, the governor can implement programs, controls, quotas or curtailments to affect the conservation or consumption of energy. O’Bannon relied on language that said a governor also could “suspend the provisions of any state statute regulating transportation ....”

When O’Bannon suspended the tax, his deputy press secretary — Cheryl Reed — acknowledged that the emergency order had never been used and therefore had not been interpreted by the courts. But she said the governor’s legal staff had thoroughly reviewed the law and believed the action was proper.

She said according to the Federal Energy Information Administration, which monitors gasoline inventories, those in the Midwest were 13 percent below the five-year average for that time of year — and the administration was satisfied that the 8 percent shortfall threshold had been met.

At the time, then Senate Finance Chairman Larry Borst, R-Greenwood, suggested that O’Bannon was skirting the law. He said the Legislature enacted it in 1981 because the state was running out of fuel at the time and it was felt that a governor should have some emergency powers to order conservation.

“There was never anything in there about prices,” Borst said then.

Massa said in his legal judgment, the law’s provision allowing a governor to suspend any state statute regulating transportation “doesn’t give you authority to waive a tax statute.” But he said the administration still wants further legal guidance from the attorney general’s office.

This is the same governor who closed half the license branches in the state, sold the Indiana toll road to a foreign company, rammed Daylight Savings time down our throats, and on and on. Oh, wait a minute...losing the sales tax would cost the state money. That's all Daniels has thought about since the beginning. He said during his campaign that he would run the state like a business...yeah, he being the CEO and the rest of us peons to make money for the state, while he rides around in a state-sponsored RV, paid for and fueled with state money. All the while, the rest of us have to suffer. He is really one to talk about "effective and responsible" actions. The only things Daniels sees as responsible are actions that bring in money to the state treasury.

Frank O'Bannon, rest his soul, went out on a limb when he suspended the tax. Maybe the words "excessive prices" weren't there, but Frank did the right thing because he cared about working Hoosiers. To paraphrase Daniels' quote, Frank thought it was "the effective and responsible thing to do" because he was concerned about us...he put our needs above the needs of the state. That's what a governor should do...govern the state and his constituents, not act like a CEO giving orders to his workers. Frank had a heart...Daniels does not.

It's time to do the "effective and responsible thing". Governor Daniels should suspend the 6% sales tax, at least temporarily. He should give us a chance to breathe a bit easier, because we are all suffering from this.