WisPolitics: “Keeping his promise to help build state Democratic parties, Howard Dean, the Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), will visit the Badger State for a grassroots fundraiser benefiting the Democratic Party of Wisconsin on Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at the Orpheum Theater in Madison. It will be Dean’s first trip to Wisconsin since becoming Chair in February 2005. ”
Category: Politics
New Bankruptcy Law: Chilling Effect on Entrepreneurs?
Mr. Girard’s experience is apparently much more common than the policy makers in Washington might think. A study commissioned by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., which supports entrepreneurial education, found that almost one in five Americans who filed for personal bankruptcy protection in recent years had operated businesses – small companies, home enterprises or start-ups – within two years of filing for bankruptcy.
Many of them had incorrectly filled out their paperwork, so the government mistakenly counted them as individuals, not businesses. In many more instances, the study showed, they had been classified as individuals by a computer software oversight.
The study’s findings raise the possibility that the bankruptcy law President Bush signed in April, and which is to take effect in October, may have damaging ramifications for the nation’s entrepreneurial culture.
Instead of cracking down almost entirely on careless consumers who cannot pay credit card bills, the study indicates, the legislation threatens to hobble untold numbers of entrepreneurs and small-business owners caught in financial setbacks.
Wisconsin Senators Kohl & Feingold supported the bankruptcy reform law. The Kauffman report can be downloaded here.
Konkel Deconstructs the City Budget
So, lets take a look at the $44 million police department budget. (Hey – I’ve already burned this bridge, I might as well just go with it.) At this point your eyes have probably glazed over, but don’t worry, it’s all of three pages long with lots of white space. Clicking on the link is an illuminating experience. You will find that for 2005 we have two programs in the police department. Field Operations which are $39,373,690 and Support Operations which are $4,718,020. There is a one paragraph description of these services. Additionally, in this case there are 6 “budget highlights” to further inform you about changes from last year’s budget. Then, on page 3 there is the break down into the 9 budget line items. Are you hungry for more information? Permanent Salary Detail will show you each of the positions in the department along with Workers Comp, Premium Pay and Vacation/Comp time accrued. This accounts for $26 million of the budget. You can also look at Minor Objects to find out that purchased services is $1.4 million, supplies are $750,000, there is $2.6 million in inter-departmental charges and $6,000 for debt/other financing. On the bottom you can see that they charge $1.1 million to grants and other departments. Finally, you can see that they are spending $18,000 in Capital Objects. If you were following along only a little, you now realize that the detail doesn’t add up to $44 million. Where’d the rest of the money go? The “details” only add up to about $31 million.
The growing tax squeeze facing Madison residents (taxes growing at a faster rate than incomes) makes budget transparency a necessity. The current local spending increases, given sluggish economic growth are simply not sustainable. I applaud the folks at dane101 for getting this rolling.
National ID Act: Becoming an Unperson
Nathan Cochrane on becoming an unperson. July 1, 2005 was the first day of the Real ID Act, supported by our good Senators Feingold and Kohl.
FTTH brings Democrats and Republicans Together – Locally
David Isenberg: FTTH brings Democrats and Republicans together:
“In the U.S. Congress, both parties are enemies of Internet-based progress. The Republicans support the telcos and cablecos while the Democrats side with the Kontent Krabs.
In Lafayette, Louisiana, though, it is a different story, both parties support Lafayette’s Fiber to the Home municipal networking effort!
A joint, bipartisan letter to Lafayette’s voters, authored by the city’s Republican *and* Democratic leaders, says
Doing Less With More
Capt Dan Ward, USAF (pdf) on the pitfalls of overfunding:
Let me get right to it: the Department of Defense acquisition community today has too much money. There, I’ve said it, and it feels good. It may be a career-limiting opinion, but after 10 years in this business, I can confidently (albeit naïvely) conclude we have too much money. More important, I con- tend this overfunding is limiting our ability to innovate, which has negative consequences for America’s warfighting capabilities. Now that I have your attention, let me explain how I reached this conclusion:
Kohl/Feingold Oppose CAFTA, Local Coverage
The Capital Times covers Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold’s opposition to CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement). Perhaps the Wisconsin Media might start asking questions about recent Feingold and Kohl support for:
- Big (as in very big) business tax cuts, in this case a 5.25% rate for offshore earnings.
- The National ID Bill
- Junkfax, passed recently by unanimous consent in the Senate.
Microsoft’s Puzzling Array of Linux Attack Money
Doc Searls Points to Tom Adelstein‘s fascinating blog on Microsoft’s money and influence in Washington (the article also mentions some subtle reporting changes at the Washington Post):
What we did not discuss on Monday, however, was the possibility that the committee could remain deadlocked for other reasons. Such reasons could involve additional payments which Preston Gates may have some difficulty explaining. Should the ethics committee meet, some democrats could face similar problems for Tom DeLay. According to the the Washington Post, other names are beginning to surface, including both House and Senate members. Names discussed in the article include Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.) and Harry M. Reid (Nev.), Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.), Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.) and Byron L. Dorgan (N.D.).
While you might find the Washington Post’s work admirable, there are some subtle changes in their reporting that grabbed my attention. For example, a switch has occurred in naming Jack Abramoff’s employer. In our previous discussion, we referenced a washington Post story that said that Abramoff worked for Preston Gates. Even the Seattle Times wrote an article focused on Preston Gates’ potential problems. For example, in a discussion of one of the firm’s clients the article states:
KELO Ruling: Freestar Media Tests Eminent Domain
Weare, New Hampshire (PRWEB) Could a hotel be built on the land owned by Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter? A new ruling by the Supreme Court which was supported by Justice Souter himself itself might allow it. A private developer is seeking to use this very law to build a hotel on Souter’s land.
Justice Souter’s vote in the “Kelo vs. City of New London” decision allows city governments to take land from one private owner and give it to another if the government will generate greater tax revenue or other economic benefits when the land is developed by the new owner.
On Monday June 27, Logan Darrow Clements, faxed a request to Chip Meany the code enforcement officer of the Towne of Weare, New Hampshire seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road. This is the present location of Mr. Souter’s home.
Clements, CEO of Freestar Media, LLC, points out that the City of Weare will certainly gain greater tax revenue and economic benefits with a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road than allowing Mr. Souter to own the land.
Subsidy Suckers: The Explosive Growth of Lobbyists in Washington, DC
The number of registered lobbyists in Washington has more than doubled since 2000 to more than 34,750 while the amount that lobbyists charge their new clients has increased by as much as 100 percent…The lobbying boom has been caused by three factors, experts say: rapid growth in government, Republican control of both the White House and Congress, and wide acceptance among corporations that they need to hire professional lobbyists to secure their share of federal benefits…
Lobbying firms can’t hire people fast enough. Starting salaries have risen to about $300,000 a year for the best-connected aides eager to “move downtown” from Capitol Hill or the Bush administration.
I wonder what the numbers look like in Madison?