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December 05, 2005
Monday Night Clippings 12-5
A. C. Kleinheider, a self-avowed "crunchy con," argues for IRV (that's Instant Runoff Voting), in a post that's ostensibly about minor parties being able to officially endorse major party candidates and still field their own. I'm not sure where I stand on cross-party endorsements, but I'm definitely pro-IRV for elections where it makes sense.
I have a friend, a flat-out Boortz fan, who always reminds me that "corporations never pay taxes." (He sez that they just pass the costs along to you an' me, the consumers.) True enough, but read Bill Hobbs' expansion on a recent Tennessean story if you want to learn how some corporations not only get us to pay their taxes -- they get us, through our elected government, to give them lots more money that we've already paid in our taxes to the State of Tennessee. From me to you, Nissan, free money. This friend of mine doesn't believe there's such a thing as "corporate welfare." I think we have a terminology difference, but I'm going to have to ask him about this Nissan story to make sure. Oh, and regardless of whether you, like some of Bill's commenters, think that the incentive makes a sound investment, just think about the way the related legislation came about. This isn't a partisan thing. Bill and I are hardly ever on the same political platform, but when he's right, he's right.
Meanwhile, here in District 8, this cold and wet weather is not dampening the Bailes for Commissioner campaign. "It's time for change."
Whatever you think of the now-reduced charges brought against Congressman Tom DeLay, if you think there's any problem with the idea of funneling money through "527" PACs and national parties to election campaigns in order to circumvent state election laws, you should read this brief article by the Center for Public Integrity and realize that there's a systemic thing here, and not a single incident.
It's cold, and I'm tired. More whenever I can catch a moment.
Politics is Personal | By joe lance | 10:53 PM